A New Face In Town
by N'yrthghar
Summary: Officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are the best members of the ZPD. No case they come across goes unsolved. That is, until a series of vigilante attacks is brought to the ZPD's attention. But what happens when this new figure brings word of a larger disaster looming over Zootopia? Rated M for hefty violence, swearing, and similar themes; features light WildeHopps and several OCs.
1. One of Those Days

**Author's Note:**

 **I'm not normally one to do any sort of notes, instead going right to the chase, but I want to go ahead and thank anyone who likes this story and wants to read more of it. It's my first time writing for this site and, honestly, first time I've written anything substantial in a few years. Really quickly I'm going to say that I'm going to allude to the works of other authors on here that have inspired me to try this out and actually got me reading again. I also have several other ideas that I would like to try if this one is successful, including a collab story, but I'm going to keep those in the back of my mind for now.**

 **This chapter is going to be pretty short, as I'm just hoping to test the waters here.**

 **Alright, enough of my blabbing, you guys came here for a story!**

 **Disney owns basically everything about Zootopia, save my custom characters.**

~ óÓÒò ~

Chapter 1) One of Those Days

Nick groaned in annoyance as he stepped outside his apartment, skillfully flicking his aviator glasses from his pocket and placing them on his snout as he trudged down the stairs to the outside world, leaving the comfort of his darkened home behind in preparation for another day at the Zootopia Police Department. It had been several months since his graduation at the academy, taking his place as the city's first fox police officer.

Nick smiled at the memory of the day he'd graduated; the weight of the badge on his chest feeling more comforting than he'd expected. He smiled softly as he recalled the pride he had felt, as well as the pride on Judy's face when she had finished her speech. Her sparkling amethyst eyes had been alight with joy at his progress and success, and she was practically glowing at the idea that the two would be working together in the Precinct 1 ZPD.

Nick hummed softly to himself as he walked around the tall, three-story building to the parking lot, his car keys jingling in his pocket as he thought of how he should get to work today. He could take his car, an older looking muscle car, but it was in need of a tune-up and a few other touches, having been a recent purchase. He could always use the train, though, that would require him being around other animals, and he was not in the mood for it this morning – like most mornings before work. Or, he could walk. The red fox groaned in annoyance at the mere thought – the ZPD was miles away, and he'd have to run half the distance to be there on time, unless he felt like taking another scolding from Judy about punctuality.

He chuckled and shook his head, remembering the last time, showing up only five minutes late to be greeted with her foot thumping against the ground at high speed and an angry expression on her face, arms folded across her chest. His ears had been folded back against his head as she chastised him about being late. This, ironically, almost led the two to almost be late to their assignments, only just arriving in time for a stern look from Chief Bogo.

Nick's gaze turned upward as he began heading over to his car, an idea forming in his head for later in the day. He clambered into his rust-colored vehicle, starting it up with a small grin at the hefty grumble it let out. When it came to cars, he seemed drawn more to the tougher, older ones than anything – not muscle cars specifically, but they fit the best. Made of steel, not fiberglass, with powerful engines that roared, not grumbled, when pushed, they seemed ideal to the fox almost as soon as he'd turned to conning.

As the car pulled out onto the street, another memory started going through his head, of his life before meeting a certain rabbit. A life that seemed, in many ways, much more simple than the one he lived now. No getting up before the sun, like today. No needing coffee or a certain, somewhat uncomfortable outfit to go to work. No chasing after criminals, be it a small purse-thief or a robbery. He laughed to himself. _I_ was _the criminal,_ he thought to himself. Nick looked in one of his side mirrors, putting on his trademark smirk, the same one he'd worn so often when he was with Finnick.

The fox chuckled to himself at the memory of him acting as a father to the fennec fox – as an act, of course. He was the perfect size and coloration to pass off as just a kit to the "upstanding father" that Nick had played. So long as he didn't reveal his ironically deep voice, all would go well for them and the pair would end the day with pockets full of cash – just as Nick had told Judy, $200 a day, since he was 12.

Nick was jerked back to reality as a large car, driven by a zebra in a light brown coat, turned onto the street right before him, causing him to slam on the brakes and slam his paw on the horn, giving a scowl at the driver before he resumed his drive.

Further along in his trip, Nick stopped at Snarlbucks and picked up a latte for himself, and a carrot smoothie for Judy. Though this became a regretful decision once a series of bumps from half-asleep patrons sent his drink all over his uniform.

The result was a very annoyed and somewhat tired fox, who grumbled about other mammals not looking where they walked as he rode to the station, windows down to try and dry himself off. A glance at the clock told him he had no time to go home and change his uniform.

 _I guess it's going to be_ that _kind of a morning, huh?_ He thought pessimistically, giving a heavy sigh.


	2. Carrot Smoothie and Fox Coffee

**Disney owns basically everything about Zootopia, save the custom characters.**

Chapter 2) Carrot Smoothie and Fox Coffee

Judy thumped her foot against the ground, paws on her hips as she stared at the doors to the ZPD. Nick was running late.

"Uh... Judy? What're you doing?.." Clawhauser asked from behind her, in his usual, cheery-yet-curious tone.

"Nick's late again," she huffed, folding her arms over her chest. He was late far too often for her liking, and she often chewed his ear out about it. Though this _had_ led to the pair of them almost being late on occasion – which always resulted in him giving her a smug grin when Chief Bogo stared them down on the way to their seats.

"I thought he was getting better at being on time, though?" the chubby cheetah asked, munching on his eighth doughnut of a baker's dozen. "He was, about two months ago." She plucked her phone from her pocket to check the time. 7:12. _Wilde, where are you?_ She thought in irritation, her foot tapping the ground even faster.

She pushed her phone into her pocket just as the front doors to the ZPD were pushed open, her red-furred fox partner trudging in. She felt her nose twitch a bit in curiosity – he looked disheveled compared to usual. As he neared the two, she could also pick up the smell of coffee.

"Nick, what-" she began, only to be cut off as he offered her a carrot smoothie, putting on his trademark smirk. "Got you something on the way, Carrots." He turned and began walking towards the bull pen once Judy took her drink, leaving her to look at an equally curious Clawhauser. "Why does he smell like coffee?" the cheetah asked. Judy could only offer a shrug in response.

Her partner paused midway to their destination, turning to look at them. "Carrots, aren't you always complaining about us being late? Come on." The sound of this snapped Judy back into focus, who nodded and rushed forward to meet him as they went inside the room, casting glances to the other officers as they took their seat.

Chief Bogo lowered his glasses a bit to peer at the pair. "Hopps. Wilde. Almost late again. I'll be expecting an explanation." He said gruffly, before turning his attention to the folders on his podium.

 _Don't do it, Nick. Don't start right now._ Judy thought desperately, hating the thought of another trip to Bogo's office this week.

"What, we-" Nick started, getting cut off as Judy elbowed his side, making him hiss briefly. The chief looked down on the two as Judy glared at her partner for a moment, the scene resulting in a few chuckles from the other officers.

"Thank you, Hopps. Now then, the rest of you have your assignments. Officers Hopps, Wilde, you're patrolling Downtown today, but meet me in my office first. Dismissed."

The group of animals in the room collectively stood and began filing out of the room, save the fox and bunny, who stared at one another in disappointment for a brief moment, before hopping down and slowly heading out the room, trailing after the chief as he ascended to his office.

"Alright, you two. Sit." The cape buffalo instructed once they had joined him, each one forcing themselves into the seemingly giant-sized chairs. They stared up at the chief as he pressed his hooves together, inspecting the duo from his seat.

"First thing's first, your explanation for this morning."

Judy looked over to Nick, having practically no idea what had happened to make the coffee scented fox to make him late today. "Well, sir, a new cologne came out and I just couldn't wait to get my paws on some this morning. Hit the store soon as they opened the doors," he said with a grin. Bogo huffed, clearly not amused. Nick responded with a sigh of irritation.

"Alright, fine. Worse traffic than usual, a stop at Snarlbucks, and a couple of half-asleep customers made me spill my coffee. Not enough time to change, so I just headed here." He shrugged. Chief Bogo gave a sigh. "You should know how the traffic gets by now. You've been doing the commute long enough. But now, the other reason I called you in here. There's been a series of crimes cropping up in Downtown, some mammals reporting seeing assaults, a few coming forth with them. We've not got a lot of details, but I want you to keep an eye out for anything."

Judy spoke up now.

"Sir, do we have a description of who we're supposed to keep an eye out for?"

"As I said, Hopps, there's not that many details. The best we've got is a small mammal, wearing a black, torn up and hooded coat. Aside from that, we've got almost nothing."

"Alright," she said looking down in thought. She hadn't heard of any attacks in Downtown, so these must have been within the past week or two. Assaults were an uncommon thing in the better parts of the city, so maybe-

A cough interrupted her thoughts. She turned her attention back to Chief Bogo. "Any more questions?" He asked.

"No, sir." Judy said, giving a smile.

"Dismissed," was the response, the wave of a hoof permitting them to leave. They responded with a salute before slipping to the ground and heading out the door.

"Hey, you should go change your uniform," Judy suggested as they headed down the stairs. "I dunno, Carrots, I kind of like the smell," Nick replied, taking an exaggerated breathe through his nose before chuckling. "Yeah, well, I don't exactly want our cruiser smelling like wet fox and coffee all day."

"Alright, I'll change out then. But we're stopping for a new coffee, then." Judy sighed softly. "And I guess I'm buying, again?" she said. "If you'd be so kind, Carrots?" Nick said with another grin. "Don't I _always_ pay?" She queried, casting a glance his way. "Coffee? Yes. But I'm not the one who ended up spilling her smoothie all over the cruiser after we found out who was behind the wheel of the race car."

He chuckled at the memory of Judy hitting her head against the steering wheel of their cruiser at finding that Flash, a sloth who worked for the Department of Mammal Vehicles, was a street racer with incredible reflexes when doing 115 MPH down a busy road.

"I _still_ don't understand it!" She said. "How is that even possible? You saw him at the DMV!" she flailed her arms for effect, pausing as Nick neared the male changing room. "Did you forget already? It's Zootopia, where 'Anyone can be anything.'" he laughed a bit as he went through the door.

Judy silently fumed about the situation until Nick came back out, no longer wearing his coffee-stained uniform, sunglasses hiding his eyes behind a dark wall again as he smirked at her. "Fluff, how long has it been since that case? You're still getting worked up over it?" He laughed.

"Yes! How are you not?" She rubbed a paw against her face. "You know what, never mind. Let's go get our cruiser." She turned away and began heading away. "Just don't spill the smoothie today. I don't want to clean it up again."

Judy gasped, rushing for the bull pen, leaving Nick to look after her in curiosity, before she reappeared with her carrot smoothie from earlier in paw. He laughed once and rolled his eyes he began catching up to her.

"Almost forgot it!" she explained as they neared their modified cruiser. "I'm serious about not spilling it though, Fluff. It wasn't exactly a quick thing." He shifted his eyes to her as they hoisted themselves into their seats. Judy laughed. "Then explain how a sloth can have incredible steering at over a hundred miles per hour."

"Alright, you know what, that's getting more stale than the bread that restaurant tried giving us last week." Judy laughed. "How old even was it? I would've had better luck biting into a rock!"

"You know, sometimes I think you could bite into things better than a beaver with your teeth," the fox joked, wincing as he was given a swift punch to the arm. "Alright, I'll admit, that one was pretty bad..." he grumbled, resting his chin on a paw as he looked out the window, the cruiser rumbling to life as Judy inserted and turned the keys.

She steered the vehicle out to the street carefully, only occasionally casting a glance to her partner, who seemed to be having a bit of trouble staying fully awake.

She smirked slightly as the light ahead of them turned yellow.

 _Maybe a brake check wouldn't hurt..._ She thought mischeviously.


	3. Not So Dull Day

**Hello all! I just want to thank everyone who's read my story so far, the simple fact that it's gotten attention makes me feel a lot better about giving this thing a shot. I'm planning on writing a chapter whenever I can, and publishing them once a week at the minimum. I've also put a reference to a favorite fanfic of mine – bonus points to whoever can tell which story, and what the reference is!**

 **Alright, enough of my chatter, you all came here for a story.**

 **Disney owns basically everything about Zootopia, save the custom characters.**

 **~** óÓÒò ~

Chapter 3) Not So Dull Day

 _"So, are_ all _bunnies bad drivers, or is it just you?" Nick asked, taking the pawpsicle out of his muzzle with a sly look at Judy._

 _Judy smirked, just before slamming on the breaks, sending him flying forward. He sat upright with the pawpsicle stuck to his eye, making him wince slightly as he tugged it away._

 _"Oops, my bad." She said._

 _Nick gave a chuckle. "Sly bunny..."_

 _Judy kept her eyes straight ahead, waiting for the light to change, giving a small shrug as she spoke. "Dumb fox."_

 _"You know you love me," he smirked a bit, holding the red treat out a bit as he gestured to her._

 _"Do I know that?" She looked up briefly, as though in thought, before turning to him with a smirk of her own. "Yes, yes I do."_

 _With a smile, Nick gazed out the windshield, placing the pawpsicle back into his mouth as Judy began driving again, only to be cut off by a bright red car speeding past._

 _Another slamming of the breaks, but this time, the momentum wasn't enough to send his head into the dashboard again, despite the lack of momentum._

Nick let out a yelp before rubbing his head, slowly peeling himself away from the dark dashboard of their cruiser. Casting a tired, annoyed glance at Judy, he sat up and flicked out his aviator sunglasses. "Alright, alright, I'm up," he said with a sigh, placing the shades over his eyes.

"Sorry, you just seemed to be having a bit of trouble keeping your eyes open," Judy replied in a joking tone. Nick grumbled to himself about the coffee being spilled over him earlier, his ears twitching as he looked out the window.

"Can we stop at Snarlbucks in a minute? I'm gonna have a lot more trouble if I don't get some caffeine in my system." He looked over at her. With a roll of her eyes, Judy nodded. "I guess, yeah. Just don't spill it this time!"

"Hey, it's not my fault that that camel couldn't watch where he walked!" Nick complained, face turning to one of pure irritation at the recent event. "And I couldn't even get a refund then because I was running late..."

"But who made you late in the first place?" Judy asked, making him roll his eyes. _Here we go,_ he thought, bracing himself for the impending scolding. Judy droned on in the background as Nick blocked her out. _Always be on time, wake up earlier, get to bed earlier, don't be so lazy, blah blah blah, I've heard this a thousand times by now..._ Nick rolled his eyes.

It took a moment to realize that the cruiser had stopped, and not at a red light this time. And it took another moment for the fox to realize Judy had also stopped. And just as he felt her gaze burning into the back of his neck, a small but powerful paw struck his shoulder.

"Ow!" He hissed, turning to face her. "What was that for?" His tone was cross as she folded her arms over her chest and gave him a stern look. "You were blocking me out again, weren't you?" She said. The expression on her face told him that she already knew the answer. "Look, I'm half asleep, and I've heard your speech about being on time more than any other. Can you blame me?"

"I wasn't berating you about being on time, Nick. I was asking you what you thought about what Bogo told us, regarding the assaults." His ears drooped a bit, but he gave a small sigh, admitting to his messing up, as the vehicle began going along the road again. "Alright... That's my bad. I assumed that you were gonna hound me about it, as usual." "I think I've done that enough," she responded.

"I'm sorry for that. Anyways, about what Bogo said, I don't really know. I'm assuming it's a smaller mammal, so... Nothing bigger than a wolf, maybe? They're average sized, I guess," he thought aloud. "As for his-" "Or her," Judy interrupted. "Right. As for their outfit, the black, hooded coat and mask... We'd need more information on it before we could really narrow things down. Seeing them would make things easier," he looked out the window again.

"We really don't have a lot to go on... If there were a case file, it'd probably be as big as Otterton's," Judy joked, likely recalling the single-page file she had gotten on her second day as an officer. She'd shown it to Nick once he had graduated from the academy, and all he had done was laugh. He smiled at the thought of how much luck she'd needed in order to solve the case – as well as the following Night Howler case.

They continued patrolling in silence, Nick struggling to stay awake, until a Snarlbucks came into view just down the road. "Walk-in, or drive-thru?" His partner asked. "Drive, it's faster," came Nick's groggy response. The large black cruiser pulled into the drive-thru as Nick had requested, Judy ordering a venti dark roast, making Nick's ears perk a bit as he leaned against he window.

Several minutes of waiting, blowing on the steaming beverage, and soft sips of the drink later, and Nick was sitting upright with his usual smirk back on his face, coffee in paw. "Thanks, Carrots. Maybe now I can get through a few hours of this bore-fest," he said before taking another drink. Judy scoffed a bit. "Nick, you know that general patrol is important," she said, guiding the cruiser onto the street again.

"Yeah, I know," he said. "But that doesn't make it any less boring. We've caught, what, five bad guys out of a dozen days on patrol, at least?"

"Nick, it's seven out of thirteen." "I was close."

He glanced over to Judy to see her rolling her eyes. "What? I was!" he insisted. His ears perked a bit at hearing her mutter "dumb fox" under her breath jokingly. He took another brief sip from his almost-scalding drink. _Dumb bunny,_ he thought, the smirk turning into a smile.

~ óÓÒò ~

The rest of the day passed with little incident, the pair of officers giving tickets to speeders and only occasionally responding to their radio – it seemed that every event that could've made their day exciting was out of their range. Officer McHorn and his team had gone after a speeding car, which led them through the Rainforest District. Officer Delgato, with Wolford and Higgins, had stopped a convenience store robbery in Tundratown. Officers Fangmeyer, Grizzoli, and Snarloff had all participated in a growing unrest in Savannah Central involving the region's mafia.

And the fox and bunny? Three hundred and sixty two tickets written, two speeding cars just going over the limit, and one buffalo with a flat tire. Their usual jokes and story-telling aside, the day had been among the more boring and less memorable. Nick perked his ears and looked over at the normally-energetic and happy Judy, watching her faceplant the steering wheel. She groaned before pulling her head up and pressing on the gas as the light turned green. "What's the matter, I thought you liked dull days?" Nick asked, humor lacing his tone like usual.

"Another day of _nothing,_ " she complained. He smiled a bit. "Aw but come on, we shared some pretty good stories," he said. Judy cast him a glance. "No, _you_ had good stories. All I had was tales of my school and pretending to be a cop when I was little." Nick laughed a bit. "But I liked them. You've always been strong in spirit, Carrots, and those show that." He looked left to see Judy give him a smile. "Thanks, Nick. I like hearing your stories, too. Although," her smile turned to a small frown. "You did a _lot_ more than just tax evasion that could've gotten you in jail..."

Nick grimaced a bit and turned away, thankful his sunglasses could hide his eyes from her. "I know, but that's all behind me."

"It still happened, Nick."

He sighed, turning to face her again before their radio crackled with static, just before Clawhauser spoke over it. "Officer Hopps, Wilde, we've just gotten a call about a robbery on Flock Street, what's your 10-20?"

The fox looked up with a silent "thank you" to no one in particular for the distraction, grabbing the radio. "We're on Pack Street, should be there in a few minutes. What's the store?"

"Florist's shop, owned by a mister Hunt. Fairly popular," Clawhauser said with a bit of curiosity, as though he were still looking into the store. Judy turned the car onto Flock Street as Nick lifted the aviators to look for the store, spotting the sign not far off. "'Domestically Exotic: Alex Hunt's Flowers for Every Occasion'?" He looked at Judy, who just shrugged as they pulled up to the store. He chuckled a bit. "The name screams irony," he mused, as Judy radioed Clawhauser to tell him they had arrived.

The storefront looked clean, as should any respected shop. The large wooden frames of the doors glowed a proud white, appearing recently painted. The color showed off the vibrant collection of flowers within and in front of the store, all shades of purples and blues and yellows, among many others. If one looked beyond the colorful exterior, however, one could see the inside of the store in some level of disarray – flowerpots and other various plants had been turned over, dirt spilling onto the floor. A bobcat was inside, picking up the various plants with haste, sweeping up whatever dirt he could and placing it in what he assumed was their respective pots.

Nick took a better look around once he and his partner walked in. There was a combination of normal and UV lights along the ceiling. The counter was to their left, a large snow leopard pacing behind it with a cell phone to his ear. "Yes, sir. A wolf, brown fur, black hoodie, blue jeans. Came into the store and took some of my flowers, demanded our cash, too. Yes, sir. Alright." He turned to see the officers who had finally arrived, giving a small sigh of relief. "They're here, do you want me to keep the call going? Alright... Thank you, sir. You too." Throughout the conversation, Nick noticed Judy scrawling away at her notepad, carrot pen a brief blur as she wrote the description of the suspect and other details.

Casting a glance down to the device in his paw before pocketing it, Hunt looked at the officers with a clear expression of concern. "Thank you two so much for coming," he said. Nick stopped as the familiar black-tipped gray ears stopped before him. "Of course, sir. You're Mr. Hunt, I assume?" Judy asked. He gave a nod, "Alex Hunt, the owner of this fine little shop." Judy smiled and held up her paw for him to shake, which he did graciously. "Officer Judy Hopps, ZPD. This is my partner, Nick Wilde." Nick gave a friendly smile, stuffing a paw into his pocket as the snow leopard held out his paw to shake. Nick followed suit, giving him a firm shake before letting go and letting his paw mirror the other.

"Alright, Mr. Hunt," Judy began. "Please, call me Alex?" the store owner insisted. Judy nodded, letting Nick look around. She was the "official note-taker" (as Nick had briefly described it) between the two, leaving Nick to observe their surroundings for her. He made his way over to the bobcat, a somewhat worried expression on his face as he continued frantically sweeping up the dirt on the floor. A flash of panic showed in his eyes once he saw the uniformed fox looking his way.

"O-Oh, hello officer," he said, catching the broom he'd nearly dropped out of surprise. "Hello, uh..." Nick started, trying to spot a name tag. The bobcat looked down at his shirt and sighed in disappointment, muttering something. "Sorry! My name's Ron, I'm Mr. Hunt's assistant here." His tail swayed in apprehension. _Still spooked from earlier,_ Nick guessed. "Hello, Ron." Nick smiled reassuringly, giving the area another look around. "I'm guessing this was done by whoever robbed you?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah... I was going in the back room for some new flowers when I heard some banging... Mr. Hunt was out at lunch at the time, and when I came out, it was like half the store had been knocked over..." He looked down with a sigh, kicking his feet lightly to show the amount of dirt still littering the ground. "He made one hell of a mess... I'm still not sure what he took, aside from money."

"Took it from the register, I take it?" Nick tilted his head a bit. Ron nodded. "Held me at gunpoint when I came out, but yeah... He had me empty the register into a bag. I caught a glimpse of what was in it, though. It looked like moldy onions, but... We don't sell those." He swept some dirt around, trying to gather it into a pile. _Moldy onions from a florist's?_ Nick looked up in thought. That wasn't right.

His ears perked up a bit as he heard Judy speak up, heading towards him. "Thank you for your help, Alex. We should catch him soon enough with the help you've given us," she assured him. Nick turned to see Judy placing the notepad in its place on her belt, along with the pen, as she walked towards him.

"Hey Carro- err, Officer Hopps. Get enough from Mr. Hunt?" He asked. With a nod, she said: "Well, we've got what he looks like for the most part, as well as some video footage. There could be fur samples around here somewhere, or something else." She smiled and waved at Ron as he swept, who returned it with a nervous smile. "Hello, Officer Hopps!" Judy looked up at Nick with slight surprise. She wasn't quite used to most mammals knowing who she was yet, even after the Night Howler case had essentially made her into a celebrity.

Nick stood by the bunny's side as she and Ron went over the same details he had just found, though this time they were written on her notepad. Just before leaving, the two were stopped by the snow leopard, who offered them a discount should they return for their help in this. Judy and Nick politely accepted it, giving the employees a wave before going back to their cruiser.

Judy immediately picked up the radio to contact the ZPD. "Clawhauser, this is Officer Hopps, 10-24 and returning with details, over." Nick rolled his eyes as he went over the codes in his head. _Assignment complete,_ he thought, giving a bored yawn. "Well, that was fun, Fluff, but I think we're done for the day." He kicked his feet up onto the dashboard as he leaned his seat back. An exaggerated wriggle of his shoulders and sigh later, and Judy had begun driving around the block.

"We should probably search the general area for the suspect, Nick." He groaned. "But Carrots, it's twenty minutes past when we were supposed to be back! The sun's going to be setting soon." He pointed out the windshield to the orange horizon as proof.

"It doesn't matter, Nick, we have a job to do. Just keep an eye out for a brown fox in a black hoodie, okay?"

"Fiiiiiiine," Nick grumbled as he looked out the window.

The two drove in silence, the only real sound being the growl of the engine as they went around every part of the surrounding area they could. They had begun to lose hope of ever finding their suspect, before Judy let out a gasp and backed up a few feet, putting the cruiser in park. "Nick, I think I've found him!" She exclaimed, hopping out of the driver's side.

The black-tipped red ears atop his head raised up at hearing this, as he clambered out of the cruiser after his partner. She was headed towards an alley, the perfect match to their suspect sitting just inside, struggling against some zipties that held his paws behind his back. The wolf grew wide-eyed at the sight of the officers, though it was quickly replaced by an expression of defeat.

"Alright, pal, what's the story here?" Judy asked, Nick glancing around.

"I... Uh... Tripped and my paws got caught in something?" came a half-hearted reply. "Uh-huh, right... And I'm a mouse." Nick said, walking around behind the wolf, picking up an orange and blue backpack. "And what's in here?" He asked.

The wolf sighed. "Alright, fine, you got me. But what about him?" He gestured down the dark alley. Nick squinted, his natural night-vision slightly kicking in as he made out the figure of a figure in a long coat down the way, a hood pulled over their head and single strap backpack swinging slightly as they went, a faint light emitting from a raised paw – likely a phone of some kind.

"What about him?" Nick asked, frowning. Something about them felt off, but Nick couldn't place it from here. "You think I tied myself up?" The wolf said sarcastically, though he fell silent and Nick looked back to see Judy giving him a silencing glare. "Carrots, can you take care of him?" The fox asked, pointing to the wolf. "You think I can't handle this? Just be quick, Wilde." She said, ushering the wolf to his feet.

Nick kept his eyes on them for a moment before starting off down the alley. Once he was close enough to be heard, he called out "Stop! ZPD!"

The figure ahead didn't stop.

Instead, they cast a glance behind them, before pocketing the phone and sprinting forward, before dipping into another side alley. Nick groaned internally – he hated chases. And yet, he picked up the pace, turning into the same alley to find... A dead end.

Confused, the fox walked down the alley a bit. "Listen, I just want to ask some questions," he said, giving a sigh of annoyance as he found the alley to be empty. Save a locked door and sewer cover, there was no place they could've gone. Nick pried at the cover lightly, digging his fingers into where they would fit, only to grunt as it didn't budge. "Son of a..." he muttered, throwing his paws up before trudging back to Judy, who was waiting in the driver's side of the cruiser with the wolf in the back seat. The backpack was gone, likely put into the trunk.

"Anything?" Judy asked, amethyst eyes hopeful, before turning to slight disappointment when he shook his head. "They disappeared in a dead end alley. Don't bother asking me how," he said, climbing into the passenger's side. Judy shook her head.

"We'll come back later," she said, starting the engine again.

Nick frowned heavily and lost himself in thought as they drove back to headquarters.

He knew every single street, alley, and shortcut in the city. How had this mammal lost him in that alley so easily?


	4. Unexpected Visit

**I just want to give everyone who's been reading this story a big thanks, and a double thanks to those who have left any amount of reviews. I think I finally know exactly what to do with this story, but it's going to end up a long one, and multiple parts – so if you're interested, buckle down! This should end up being a crazy ride by the end.**

 **I've also finally decided on my formatting – there's been inconsistencies, but I think I have this down now.**

 **Disney owns basically everything about Zootopia, save the custom characters.**

 **~** óÓÒò ~

Judy groaned as she flung herself onto her bed, the creak it emitted making her wince. She sat up with anticipation, rolling her eyes as she heard her neighbors stir.

"Hey, the meter maid's back!" a voice sounded from the other side of her wall.

Bucky.

"She's not a meter maid anymore, idiot! She's a cop!" came another voice.

And Pronk.

With a grunt, the uniformed bunny shoved herself from her bed and grabbed a change of clothes, making sure the door was shut and locked before changing, doing her best to block out the sound of her neighbors arguing. She glanced at the clock – 10:12 PM.

"Don't those two ever sleep?" she muttered, wincing as one of their loud voices broke into her mind. "Only sometimes!"

Judy shook her head. "I need to get out of here," she whispered to herself.

"But you just got back!" Pronk yelled.

Judy grabbed her keys and bag, immediately heading back out the door. At first, the Grand Pangolin Arms had a certain level of charm when Judy had arrived in Zootopia little over a year ago.

"Greasy walls... Rickety bed... Crazy neighbors... I love it!" she had exclaimed.

She wanted to go back and kick herself for not moving out when she could.

After a time, the paper-thin walls, lack of basic facilities, and ugly interior of her glorified closet had begun to get to the little rabbit. She had no bathroom or sink of her own, instead having to use a community shower across the street – which was far from clean most times – or at the Precinct, which she preferred. As for food, her apartment had little room for anything but a simple microwave and mini-fridge. Should she desire anything beyond a bowl of cereal or TV dinner, she had to use the apartment's open kitchen on the base floor of the building; this, however, was in a similar state to the restrooms. A lack of dishes – clean ones, at least – as well as cooking supplies made it relatively useless. Most of the residents in the building bought their own small kitchen appliances instead.

And the result of this lack of amenities was a once-energetic police officer bunny who now found it difficult to get a decent night's sleep and a real meal.

Initially, the conditions shouldn't have been too different from life back at home – mom, dad, and nearly 300 siblings, of which Judy was among the oldest.

But living life alone and having to entirely care for herself after watching over the city was simply too exhausting for her at times.

Judy blinked her amethyst eyes open as the cold night breeze hit her face. In her thoughts of how things here had changed, she hadn't realized her own feet carrying her down the stairs and out the front doors. She looked left and right, shivering slightly before looking down at her outfit – black running pants with a sky blue T-shirt, the bottom portion of it and her sleeves being a lavender color. Her homemade bag was slung over her shoulder, the paw-stitched eyes and smile looking up at her with joy.

Upon further examination, one could see the fabric becoming faded and the stitching slowly undoing itself, a corner of the smile almost coming loose, and an eyes having string flowing in the wind. It had been through quite a bit with her, she realized.

Judy looked up again, noticing that her surroundings had again shifted. She was no longer outside her apartment, but now headed for the train station.

 _Where am I even going?_ She thought to herself, shaking her head when nothing came to her. She'd have to find out on her own.

~ óÓÒò ~

Little over a half an hour and two train rides later, and Judy stared up at a different apartment building, the originally vibrant sign being at too odd an angle to read. Every other time Judy had been here, it had been during the day, meaning the lights were shut off. This had kept the sign from catching her eye to read it, making her mentally kick herself later and take note to check next time.

She always forgot.

What she never forgot, however, was the route to get here. After all, it was where her partner lived.

Judy bounded up the steps and pushed into the lobby, nodding at the pretty looking skunk behind the desk. She smiled back.

"Can I help you, dear?" she asked the rabbit, smiling softly as her ears raised a bit.

"I'm here to see Nicholas Wilde," she replied, giving a smile.

The skunk laughed, leaning back in her chair enough for Judy to catch her name – Katy.

"It's a little late for visiting, don't you think? Unless you're planning on spending the night with him?" she asked, a mischievous yet friendly glint in her eyes. "He's had lookers for some time now, never thought one would hook him though." she added.

"What do you mea- O-oh," Judy started, feeling her cheeks heat up. "N-No, it's not like that!" she stuttered, ears falling a bit in embarrassment. "H-He and I work together, a-and he forgot something at-" Judy began to lie – she didn't want anyone to think she and Nick had anything going on between the two.

She was interrupted with another laugh.

"I'm only yanking on your leg, you know. Just hope it isn't the lucky one." she chuckled. "He's up on the fourth floor, room-"

"I know, A113," Judy interrupted. She frowned and felt her cheeks burn more once she saw Katy smirk, realizing she'd just added fuel to her small fire. "You two have fun," she snickered, waving off the bunny as she turned her attention to some papers on her desk.

Judy only gave a nervous chuckle as she went over to the elevator, hitting the button for the fourth floor. The ascent was in quiet, save the ambient music that barely covered the groaning machine pulling her upwards. _It's almost like a hotel,_ she thought with a small smile, ears perking as the elevator let out a ding and the doors slid open.

Judy wandered along the hall, looking at the doors as she went, occasionally casting the cream colored carpeting a glance, coming to a stop outside Nick's door. She looked down at her silver phone, wincing at the time: 11:03. Would Nick even be awake at this hour?

Judy bit her lip, internally debating with herself on if she wanted to knock or not. She stood in silence before raising up her right paw and rapped against the door, before letting the hallway go quiet again.

 _Wait, why am I even here?_ She thought, looking up in surprise. It hadn't even occurred to her why she had come here. Then again, there weren't many other places she could've gone to at this time of night. Most restaurants, aside from fast food places and some of questionable repute had closed hours ago, as had every shop in the city.

At the same time, however, Nick was likely to be fast asleep by now. Their day had been a long and dull one, save the final hour or so with the robbery. The duo would look into that further the next day, but as it was they had been late leaving the Precinct. Chief Bogo would likely have a talk with the two before their interrogation of the wolf suspect, found to be a Dylan Crawford. The backpack they had found with him had been filled with the money stolen from Alex Hunt, but there was no sign of the "moldy onions" that Ron had mentioned. Judy brushed this off as just seeing things, though she couldn't help but let her memories drift back to when Chief Bogo had called Night Howler seeds as that same thing after she had caught Duke Weaselton stealing two dozen of them.

She looked up, ears raising as the door before her made a sound, like a bolt being moved. A moment later, a pair of tired green eyes looked out from beyond a red muzzle, the door cracked open slightly. "You're here awfully late, Fluff..." Nick said, his voice dripping with drowsiness. "What's up?" he asked.

A brief glance told Judy she had probably just woken him – unkempt fur, a white tank top, shorts. His eyes were dull compared to their usual bright emerald, and his tail hung low, much like his ears. He was doing the same to her, a tiny flicker of curiosity showing in his eyes as he waited for a response.

Judy just stared at him dumbly. She hadn't figured that out yet – her train of thought was going all over the place. "Hello, earth to Carrots?" Nick spoke up, making her shake her head and try giving an explanation. "S-Sorry! I... Don't really know why I'm here, honestly... Or why I'm here so late... Or-" She paused as Nick held up a paw.

"Carrots, it's fine. You know you can come by whenever." He opened the door more, as though to invite her in, as he began to walk towards his kitchen. Judy slowly walked in after him, shutting the door quietly.

Compared to where she lived, Nick's apartment a castle. The living room was spacious for the smaller mammals like him, easily able to fit a large sofa, TV, a massive recliner, and a few other random objects, including several various plants. This wasn't enough to keep the room from feeling slightly empty, however, as it was initially designed for someone more of a wolf or tiger's size. To the right of it was a well furnished kitchen, a counter separating it from the living room, stools set on one side for any guests that might come by – as rare as that would be for Nick. To the left of the living room, a hallway led to Nick's bedroom, and the bathroom. Judy, despite being here often, had never explored into Nick's room, thinking of that to be his domain, though on the few occasions she grew too curious for her own good she'd stolen a glance.

Compared to the rest of the apartment, his room seemed to be in total disarray. Clothes scattered about, fast food wrappers everywhere, papers lying about, the shades almost always half-drawn. His bed never seemed to be made, the pillows missing half the time. At one point she had found his blanket on the floor before the door, and spotted a smashed alarm clock on his wooden nightstand. The thought made her chuckle – her partner was not a morning mammal, and it showed.

She flicked on a light switch, giving a squeak and covering her mouth as Nick let out a hiss from the sudden bright light. "Sorry!" she exclaimed, moving to turn it back off, only to be stopped as Nick held up a paw again.

"Just warn me next time, hard to chase bad guys if you make me go blind," he said, smiling tiredly as he began digging into his fridge, emerging a moment later with a plastic bottle filled with an orange-blue juice. "Do you want something to drink?" he asked, looking back at her, eyes a bit more vibrant and alert, as she nodded, moving over to his couch, setting her bag down.

There was a clinking of glass and Nick was before her a minute later, holding out one of two drinks. "Thank you," she said, taking it and having a sip before growing slightly wide-eyed and looking down at the contents. "Nick, what's this?" she asked, looking up to see him taking a long drink. "I mixed blueberries, carrots, a few other things into a drink. What do you think?" he turned to her curiously.

She was too busy downing more of the drink to respond immediately. "I love it!" she exclaimed, looking at the nearly emptied glass. Nick just snickered and walked off to the kitchen, returning with a napkin. He swiped at her top lip before she could react, smirking at her surprised expression as he went back to throw it away. "Just don't make a mess, Carrots." She felt her ears redden slightly, and hoped he couldn't see it through her fur. She responded with silence, sipping carefully on the remains of the fox's homemade drink.

"So, why'd you decide to give me such a late visit again?" he asked, leaning against his elbow to look at her from behind the counter. Judy set the glass down, looking at him. "I couldn't really tell you... I wanted to get out of my apartment and my feet just carried me here..." Nick snorted.

"So you came here without thinking about it? I didn't know you liked me that much, Fluff." Judy snorted this time, shaking her head. She stared at him, mouth open as she tried finding words to use against him, but none came. Nick laughed, and Judy felt her ears burn again. She let out a grumble, making him shake his head as he went around the counter, gathered her glass, and rinsed it in the sink.

"Well, it's pretty late now, Carrots. Are you gonna walk home, or did you plan on staying the night?" He turned to her, eyebrows wriggling slightly. Judy gasped and shook her head furiously. "Not you, too!" she groaned. Nick laughed again, head raising. "I'm just messing with you, Fluff. I'm guessing Katy got you with that one?" He grinned and went back over to her.

"How'd you guess?" Judy asked, looking up to him. He shrugged, keeping a smug smile on his face as he set his paws on his hips. "She makes a lot of jokes like that. I don't think she means most of them, though. But seriously, are you planning on crashing here tonight?"

The gray bunny checked her phone: 11:18. "Would you mind if I did?" she asked, giving a small yawn. Nick shrugged, "Depends on where you plan on sleeping, then." He looked around his living room, smile still present, albeit a bit faded now. "I can take the couch," Judy suggested, causing him to look back her way.

"It's not that comfortable for sleeping," Nick warned her. "I can take it instead, if you want. My bed's very-" his eyebrow raised as Judy interrupted. "N-No, I'll be fine on the couch. Really, but thank you, Nick."

Judy watched him click his tongue for a moment, before turning to go down the hallway. "Fair enough... I'll get you some pillows and a blanket."

Judy sat in silence, holding her paws as she listened to Nick rummage around in his room, chuckling softly as she heard something fall and the fox let out a quiet curse, before emerging with several pillows and a mint green blanket. "Will these be okay?" he asked.

Judy nodded, smiling. "Have a little trouble in there?" she teased, watching one of his ears flick. "If you wanna call it that, sure." She snickered softly, noticing his eyes had again grown dull with exhaustion. His usual witty comebacks wouldn't be around for tonight, she realized.

"If you're going to be alright here," Nick said, a yawn interrupting him, "Then I'm going to go back to bed. Have a good night, Fluff." And with that, the red fox disappeared into his room, the door being left slightly ajar. Judy called out a goodnight before carefully placing the pillows and blanket on the couch beneath her, sprawling out as she wrapped the mint green cloth around her. She curled up slightly, giving her phone a final glance as she set it on the coffee table. After giving Nick a silent thank you, she shut her eyes and rolled over, quickly falling to sleep for the next day.


	5. A Day Off

**So, I left a big reference to two of my favorite things in this chapter – a movie and a game – as well as another story on the site, my all-time favorite. More bonus points to whoever manages to get the references! I'm also going to be trying to put out chapters a little faster – I'm getting all these ideas crammed into my head and would love to put them down for you all to read.**

óÓÒò ~

 _Beep, beep, beep, beep, bee-_

The sound of cracking plastic cut off the horrendous alarm to the fox's right. With a heavy groan, he looked out from under his covers and cursed silently. "That makes what, nine now?.." he muttered as he crawled from the comfort of his bed.

Nick gave a massive yawn as he made his way to the bathroom, engaging in his morning routine: Restroom, shower, uniform, then work. Sometimes he would make breakfast before leaving, but that had grown to be a rarity due to the commute to the Precinct having become worse than usual.

Twenty minutes later, Nick was walking out of his bedroom with yet another yawn plastered on his face. He had done his usual routine, swept the broken alarm clock into his trash bin, and had begun making a list of things to do this evening in his head. _I only just got up and I've got more things to do,_ he thought, trudging into the kitchen.

The sight of a pair of black-tipped gray ears jutting out from beneath a mint covered blanket on his couch caught his eye and made him pause as he reached for the fridge. _Judy?_ He thought, blinking in surprise as he tried to recall her visiting him. Nothing immediately came to mind, making him rub his eyes. It was likely that he'd have to make the two of them breakfast now, and wake his partner for work.

The uniformed fox clicked his tongue as he looked around his almost-empty fridge. There was very little to eat, and even less for an herbivore like Judy. Giving a shrug, he grabbed a bag of kale and some orange juice before shutting the door, plucking a bag of frozen mixed berries from the freezer, and setting them on the counter. Grabbing a stool from the other side of the counter, Nick clambered up and reached into a cupboard to bring down his blender.

He cast a small, mischievous grin towards the sleeping form of Judy as he plugged the red-based machine in, adding the various items he had set out. _This ought to wake her._

Covering the lid, Nick flipped the switch to start up the blender. A loud grinding noise filled his apartment, making his ears flicked in irritation, and Judy's twitch at the sudden racket. He kept his eyes on her as he waited for the blender to do its work, smiling as he saw her bring up a pillow to cover her head and ears, chuckling at the faint "Niiiiiiiiick!" she let out.

"Yes, Carrots?" he said, reaching for some glasses. "Turn it oooooooff!" came her response, muffled from the pillow. Nick snickered as he saw one of her large ears pop out from under her cover at him doing as he was told. He turned back to the blender, filling the two tall glasses with the deep purple smoothie before glancing to Judy. She was glaring at him, arms folded over her chest as her ears drooped against her head. Small tufts of her gray hair stuck out at odd angles. The blanket and pillows he'd let her use were now struggling to stay off the floor, one pillow collapsing in a pitiful heap on her foot.

Compared to her usually well-groomed self, this was an amusing way to see his partner: Sleepy, slow, less alert, messy.

Nick's eyes widened and he ducked down, nearly dropping the glasses as a pillow sailed over his head, landing on the ground just in front of the stove. He looked at it before risking a view over the counter, seeing Judy holding the other pillow at the ready. The fox smirked, rising a bit and immediately ducking down to avoid the second pillow. Now that Judy was out of her ammunition, the red fox rose up with a smirk. "You throw like a bunny," he teased, making his way around the counter with a paw outstretched, the drink sloshing slightly as he held it out to her.

With a sigh brimming with irritation, she took the glass and examined its contents. "Smoothie?" she asked, an eyebrow raising as she looked up at him. Nick shrugged. "I don't have much in the way of carrots at the moment – or food in general. Been a while since I bothered shopping," he explained. Judy gave a shrug of her own before drinking half her share in one go. Nick chuckled at her purple mustache, grabbing a napkin from the counter and offering it to her. "I didn't think I'd be babysitting you," he joked, smirking wider at her glare once he took the wadded up napkin to the trash.

She shook her head, looking around for her phone. "What time is it?"

"About... 5:30."

"What?!" Judy was on her feet in an instant, her small phone before her face as she tapped buttons, but the screen refused to flicker to life. It was dead.

"5:30. I thought you bunnies were supposed to have great hearing?"

And now she began pacing. "No, no, no, I need to get home and to the Precinct... Nick, you've got a car, right?" she said, looking over to him. The fox paused with his glass inches from his mouth, looking at her curiously. "How do you think I get to and from work most days?"

"Can you take me home so I can shower and get my uniform?" Judy asked. Nick looked out the window, actually taking a drink this time.

"Nope."

"What?" Nick folded his ears against his head as she shouted, thankful his walls weren't paper-thin like hers. Of course, it wouldn't matter, given he had no neighbors at the moment. "Nick, you have to! Please?" Judy gave him a pleading look, causing him to sigh and set his drink on the counter.

"Hey, you've got a uniform at work, right?" She nodded. "A spare, but, yes," she confirmed.

"And does your bag have spare clothes in it?" Nick asked. Another nod. "Then shower here, change when we get to the ZPD."

Judy took a moment to let the plan sink in before nodding, face lighting up as she reached for her bag. "Right, where's the – wait... Nick, you're okay with letting me use your shower? You're not planning anything, right?"

His russet and black ears pressed against his head more as he detected a trace of suspicion in her voice. "Carrots, do you not trust me? If I wasn't okay with you using it I wouldn't offer. And I'm pretty sure you could tell if I was planning anything... Sly."

He smirked a bit, ears rising in satisfaction at seeing her ears lower a bit in embarrassment, seeing her grow slightly flustered. "Right... Sorry. I guess I'm just not quite awake. Or with using someone's shower. But then again, you _are_ a sly fox," she said, smiling a bit.

"And _you're_ a dumb bunny," Nick replied lightheartedly. "You might want to hurry though, or else we'll be late, and you'll be giving yourself a speech about being on time."

Judy nodded and disappeared down the hall, into the bathroom.

~ óÓÒò ~

Nick rushed after Judy as she sprinted into the ZPD. The moment he had parked the car, she had leaped from the door and made a beeline for the doors.

"Hey Nick, Judy just-" Clawhauser began, his words slightly warped due to the doughnut in his mouth, only to be silenced by Nick as he waved to the cheetah. The fox slid his sunglasses from his muzzle, folding them up and slipping them into his shirt pocket in one fluid motion as he pushed into the bullpen. Chief Bogo was looking up from his podium in surprise, Judy already taking up her half of the seat as Nick made his way over. She was already dressed in her uniform, though it wasn't as pressed as usual – a sacrifice of her hasty change, he guessed.

"Hopps, Wilde. I'm surprised. You don't normally come in on your days off," Bogo said, a hint of surprise in his voice as he looked over a set of papers in his hoof. Nick looked over at Judy, their wide and surprised eyes meeting and causing most of the mammals in the room to let out a snicker.

"Excuse me, sir?" Judy asked, ears perking in confusion.

"It's Saturday, Hopps. You and Wilde don't work today or tomorrow," the chief explained, giving the duo a small grin of amusement – one of the few times the large cape buffalo showed anything but a scowl. "But if you two would like to pitch in for today, then I could always-"

"No thank you, sir," Nick interrupted, giving a yawn. "Day off is a day off and I'm not giving that up unless it's important. I like to sleep normal hours when I can, sir."

Bogo snorted, expecting something like this from Nick. "And you, Hopps?" he said, turning to look at her. The uniformed rabbit looked between Nick and the chief, before shaking her head. "I think I'll go with Nick, if it's all the same to you," she said slowly. The cape buffalo chuckled softly. "As expected. Dismissed, you two. Thanks for stopping by."

There was a small chatter from the other officers as they said goodbyes to the partners, all eyes on them as they went to the door. After a moment, the chief's loud shouting for them to keep quiet left the room in silence. As the bunny and fox headed out of the doors, he began to rattle off the days cases, teams assigned to them, and other small tidbits of necessary information.

Clawhauser gave the pair a smile as they headed into the lobby. "The chief already gave you your assignments?" he asked curiously. Nick nodded. "Go home and sleep in for once," he said with a grin, paws stuffed into his pockets. Judy rubbed her eyes tiredly, almost running into Nick as he stopped before the cheetah's desk. "Carrots, forgetting something?" he said, pointing to her uniform. Her eyes twinkled with curiosity for a brief moment, looking down at her uniform, before springing up and racing to the changing rooms.

Nick chuckled before turning to the chubby cat. "So, Spots, anything exciting happening out in our big wide world?" He gave another grin, knowing that Clawhauser was always on every form of social media he could be, constantly blogging, keeping tabs on all of Gazelle's information, and anything else of importance.

Clawhauser nodded, grinning widely. "Gazelle's putting together a new album," he said excitedly. "She's already recorded three songs for it and a tour is being put together for next year!" Nick laughed, glancing at the changing rooms as he waited for Judy. "Is that so? So how quickly are you getting tickets?" the fox said, looking up at the wide-eyed, grinning cheetah. "I've already pre-ordered the first tickets I could for her show here!" the feline replied proudly, practically glowing. Nick's eyes widened slightly. "They're already putting out tickets?" he asked.

"Yeah! The earliest ones are set for spring, but they're having trouble keeping up with sales already!"

"That's... Weird. I thought they couldn't put out tickets until a month or two away?" Clawhauser shrugged. "Everything has a pre-order now; books, movies, CDs, games, even clothes all have them. The new iCarrot has already been announced, too!"

Nick rolled his eyes. "Geez, they need to slow down... Putting things out faster than they can keep up with. Want to bet this one has more issues than the last one? Maybe it comes already bent for us?"

Clawhauser let out a snicker. "What about news? Anything we might not have heard of yet?" Nick asked.

"Uh... A few small robberies in Bunnyburrow that are under investigation, a few stolen items here and there. A breaking and entering that gets investigated today, and... That's about it. Oh! And a few reports of assaults on mammals near recently robbed stores. That one's big enough that Bogo is having nearly a quarter of the department look into it."

"Who's looking into what, now?" Judy asked, walking up to the pair as she rubbed her eyes.

"Clawhauser was just telling me some of the news going around," Nick said, giving the cheetah a look to keep quiet on their topic. "Aside from some news on Gazelle and some stupid things already being on pre-order, nothing of interest."

Judy looked up to Clawhauser excitedly. "Wait, Gazelle's already working on more songs?!" With a grin, Clawhauser turned around his phone and leaned over the desk. "Yeah, she's already gotten three of them recorded, see for yourself!"

Judy took the phone and began immediately reading over the text on screen. Her thumb slowly ran along the screen as she read post after post from Gazelle's official media pages, a smile growing on her face. Nick snickered as he noticed her tail shaking slightly, as it did when she was excited.

"Oooh, this is gonna be great!" She yelled, jumping in place before handing the phone back to its owner. "I've already pre-ordered a set of tickets!" Clawhauser told her, his toothy smile widening at seeing Judy's face light up. "Already, seriously?! How many?" Judy could barely contain her excitement.

"Four, just like last time! Enough for you, me, Nick, and the Chief!"

Judy let out a squeal of excitement, still bouncing in place. "Clawhauser, you're the best!"

Nick chuckled again as he turned to leave, digging his keys from his pocket and twirling them on a finger. "Thanks for that, Spots, now it's going to be hell getting her back to sleep." Clawhauser was too busy squealing with the small rabbit to hear him.

Nick rolled his eyes. _Ladies and gentlemammals, Gazelle's biggest fans,_ he thought, giving a whistle for attention. "I guess you want to walk home then, Fluff?" he jested, a paw resting on the door. Judy looked at the fox with a mockingly stern glare, before turning to thank Clawhauser, waving goodbye as she ran over. The fox held the door open slightly as he waited.

"Thought you were actually going to sit there and gossip with him for an hour," Nick said, giving Judy a smirk as she walked past him. "Har har," she replied, rolling her eyes as he trailed after her. "I wouldn't have known if we hadn't come in today. Speaking of which, who forgot that it was our days off?" Judy looked at Nick with light accusation. "Hey, you're the one who didn't catch me like you normally do," Nick replied, eyes shutting as he held up his paws defensively, keys jingling. "I was half asleep!" Judy defended herself.

Nick grumbled under his breath as the two walked over to his car, Judy jumping in the driver's side. "Uh-uh," Nick said, chuckling. "My car, I drive."

Judy rolled her eyes and shifted into the passenger seat. "You're no fun," she complained. "You won't let me gossip, won't let me drive, won't let me sleep in..." Nick slid into his seat and put the keys into the ignition, shutting the door. "One, you can always text Clawhauser. Two, bunnie's aren't very good drivers – at least, not from my experience," Nick snickered, pulling onto the street. "Three, that's both our faults," he admitted.

Judy crossed her arms over her chest. "If _someone_ had remembered to turn off their alarm..." she started.

Nick snorted. "If _someone_ hadn't woken me in the middle of the night, I might have remembered"

Judy gave Nick a glance of defiance. "If _someone_ hadn't taken his time with his paperwork, we would've been home sooner."

Nick gave Judy a glance of his own. "If _someone_ had known how to drive better so we could've gotten to the shop faster, we could've been done sooner."

"Well," Judy said with a smirk. "If _someone_ hadn't gotten coffee spilled all over themselves, we might have avoided patrol duty."

Nick snickered. Judy was getting better at this. "Well, if a certain bunny hadn't leaked that she wanted a smoothie, then a certain someone wouldn't have been at Snarlbucks long enough to get his coffee spilled all over himself."

It was long compared to the usual retorts he had, but it was enough to silence his partner. For a moment, at least.

"Well..." Judy began, a smile creeping onto her face as she began coming up with her own response.

Nick looked at the light ahead as it turned yellow. Judy's eyes were fixated on him, meaning she likely hadn't noticed.

 _Brake check,_ the fox thought, a sly smirk coming over his face.

óÓÒò ~

Nick rubbed his shoulder with a slight scowl, looking over the park that sat before the Precinct. Judy had recovered from his brake check quickly, and given him a very hard punch to the arm in retaliation before falling silent for most of the trip. Despite his apology, she hadn't spoken to him until he brought up going to the park for the day.

Her ears had perked, signaling her interest, however much she tried to hide it from reaching her face, but Nick could read her like an open book. After a bit of coaxing, she relented in her silence, giving him a smile as she agreed to go.

After a nap that consumed half of their remaining morning, the partners had driven to the park, a small basket with snacks placed in the back seat should they get hungry. The day so far had been wasted away with the two walking, talking, occasionally joining in on a random game, or, as they were now, idly swinging on the park's smaller playset. Judy's eyes were glued to her phone, and Nick cast a glance at the screen to see who she was talking to – Clawhauser, of course. He could see the name "Gazelle" appear nearly a half dozen times on the screen, Judy's small thumbs tapping away on the screen.

Swinging his legs idly, Nick began to gain momentum, the occasional creak of the set above him making his ears twitch with irritation from time to time. He looked over the entirety of the park, smiling at the sight of mammals, of every size and species milled about and socialized. A lion and lioness sat on a bench, watching their cub play soccer with an otter, zebra, and hippo about his age. An elephant stomped along with a bear by his side, the two laughing and joking as they went. A gazelle wandered through the grass, staring down at her phone as she went. Nick laughed to himself, swearing he could see McHorn across the way, playing chess at a table with a cougar he didn't recognize.

The park was as active as ever, despite the sky taking on hints of orange on the horizon. Slowing his swing, Nick looked down at Judy, who was still texting away. "Carrots, are you gonna keep your eyes on that screen all afternoon?" he asked. Judy looked to him, giving an apologetic smile. "Sorry! Clawhauser and I were just planning for the concert."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "That's months away, why would you plan for it now? There's a lot of things that could happen in the meantime."

Judy shrugged, her eyes returning to her phone as she received another text. "But it's good to have things in place, right? Something to plan around?" She didn't take her eyes off her phone until she hit send, finally slipping the attention-hogging device into her pants pocket. "I told him I had to go for a bit. I didn't mean to waste so much time texting," she told him. Nick gave a nod that screamed false misunderstanding. "I always knew there was someone else!" he joked, grinning at Judy's open-mouthed expression.

The fox barely pushed away in time to avoid another punch to his bruised arm. _I should really stop letting her sit on my right,_ he thought, eyes widening as he swung right into her fist again. This time, unlike the others, he let out a yelp of pain, holding onto his arm.

Judy just smirked. "That's what you get!"

Nick groaned as he rubbed his shoulder, sighing as he looked out over the park. "Let's play a game before the sun sets?" he asked, glancing at her. Judy turned to face him. "What did you have in mind?" she asked.

"Mammal watching?" he suggested.

Judy laughed. Mammal watching was a ZPD pastime they had learned, about watching mammals in an area and guessing on who, if anyone, they were waiting on – friend, family, significant other, or something else. "Isn't that normally for patrols only?" she reminded him.

"We showed up at work today, in uniform – or at least, I did. Doesn't that count?"

Judy looked up in thought, before giving in. "Alright, I guess it counts. Who starts?" she looked at her partner expectantly. Nick peered out over the park, examining everyone who meandered through it. "How's about... Her?" he suggested, pointing to the gazelle he had spotted earlier.

Judy leaned out of her swing slightly, carefully looking over their chosen target.

She was dressed casually, wearing ugly brown boots (they were ugly in Judy and Nick's boots, at least), tight jeans, a plain white shirt, and a deep blue coat that was cut too short. A scarf was wound around her neck, despite it being nearly summer, and her slightly off-colored gold hair was straightened out behind her.

"Friend," Judy said.

"What kind?" Nick asked, examining the gazelle much like her.

"Uh... Given her clothes... Girl? She doesn't seem to be trying to impress anyone."

"Alright, we'll keep an eye on her. Your turn."

Judy looked around the park, this time laughing as she pointed directly across from them. Nick trailed her finger and snickered, realizing that she was pointing at who he had assumed was (and was correct about being) officer McHorn. The rhinoceros was dressed in loose jeans and a plain blue button-up shirt. "Friend or acquaintance, clearly" Nick said, grinning as he turned to Judy. "Come on, actually give me a good one!"

Judy laughed again, turning her gaze out across the park once again, before pointing to a jaguar sat at a park bench. She held a cream purse in her lap, a simple teal skirt and white shirt being her outfit as she looked around the park, as though watching for someone. Nick grinned. "A date. She's dressed too fancy to just be meeting a friend," he said.

"Are you sure?" Judy snickered, pointing over as a small jaguar cub that ran over to her, the bigger one giving a wide smile as she leaned out for a hug. Another jaguar walked up, dressed in slacks and a large brown coat that gleamed in the afternoon light, a paw resting behind his head as he laughed.

Nick's ears drooped a bit. "I win!" Judy grinned. The fox gave an exasperated sigh, before pointing across Judy's nose with a grin. "So did I, look!"

Eyes wide, Judy turned to see the gazelle from earlier now walking with a deer dressed in a blue windbreaker and matching jeans. Their arms were hooked around one another as they walked away.

Nick gave a superior smile as Judy turned to him, frowning. "Tie breaker?" he suggested, keeping a smug grin on his face as she nodded.

"I'm picking, though, since you lost first." Nick nodded to her slightly, accepting the terms.

"How's about..." Judy paused as she looked around the park. "Him?" She suggested, pointing at a smaller mammal on the path by their swing set. Nick looked at them curiously – a red fox, much like himself, but with significantly more vibrant fur, with the dark of his ears and tail not staining his fur until it was almost too late. He was dressed in a red hoodie and black cargo pants. Boots not unlike Judy's uniform boots were visible under the baggy clothing, a backpack resting against them as they went along, looking down at their phone. A set of white earbuds were leading into his ears as he glanced at the off-duty officers with startling eyes – a strange blue, perhaps indigo in color. A small smile grew on his face as he offered a wave, Judy returning it. He unplugged an earbud as he shifted his course to meet the two, eyes bright and friendly. Nick frowned internally, but kept his usual smirk on as he gave a small wave. Something about this fox felt... Uneasy to him. The way he dressed, maybe. He shook off the feeling, telling himself it was nothing.

"Hey, do you know where the train station is?" the fox asked once he neared them. Nick's ears perked at noticing that he was shorter than this newcomer – by a matter of inches, but still. Judy nodded, pointing just to the right of the ZPD. "It's about three blocks that way," she said. The fox smiled. "Great, thanks! Hey... You look familiar. I don't think we've met but I swear I've seen you before... I got it!" He said, snapping his fingers as Judy opened her mouth. "You're Judy Hopps, yeah? The police officer that saved Zootopia with Nick – who I'm guessing is you?" he said, turning to the other fox.

Nick smirked a bit more. "Yeah, that's us."

The fox grinned widely. "No way. Aren't you two supposed to be out catching bad guys or something?"

Judy laughed. "Even police officers have days off, you know." The fox nodded. "That makes sense. Hard to keep the streets safe when you're working your tail off, eh?" He chucked softly as Nick nodded. "Well that, and, it takes quite a bit of energy to keep her in line," Nick said, reaching out to ruffle Judy's hair, snickering as she tried to shy away from his paw but couldn't due to her seat. The other fox was still grinning, giving a soft chuckle.

"So hey, what's your name? Like you said, I don't think we've met before." Judy asked after batting away Nick's paw. "Huh? Oh, Aiden. Aiden Wick." He stuck out his left paw for Judy to shake, giving the two a friendly smile as she did so, before turning to Nick, who did the same. "Well, Aiden, it's nice to meet you."

Aiden nodded. "Likewise," he said. Nick tilted his head slightly as he looked down at a small watch, the outside circle of it being lit up as a neon green. "Aw, hell, I gotta go or I'll miss my train. Thanks for your help, and I'm incredibly honored to meet you two!" he said, giving a smile. "Hopefully we meet again," he said, giving the two a surprisingly professional salute, which the two habitually returned, turning to watch him as he ran off in the direction of the train station.

"Friend." Nick said, watching him go. Judy nodded in satisfaction, turning around to swing a bit more, the deepening orange light of the sunset beginning to stain the green leaves of the trees around the park. "Alright, you win, Slick Nick."

The fox beside her laughed. "Of course I win, I'm _me!_ But, winner always picks the next place to eat, right?" Judy groaned and nodded, already feeling her wallet noticeably emptier. "Yeah, that's our normal deal," she replied.

"Ha-ha!" Nick spoke triumphantly. "I choose..."

He tilted his head from side to side, ears flopping slightly with each turn as Judy's fell against her head. Nick looked her way briefly, noticing her foot twitch in anticipation, patting against the air quickly enough that a small part of him was surprised she wasn't flying from her seat.

"My place," he said, finally. Judy looked up at him in surprise.

"What? It's not like I can't get some groceries on the way back. And besides, this wasn't an official game," he said, smiling at her. Judy laughed slightly, holding up her paws. "I won't complain about that, Nick. I've always been curious about your cooking skills, though."

Nick laughed again. "Prepare to be surprised, Fluff. Bet you it's a mile better than that souffle you tried making last time," he joked. Judy gave him a shocked look. "You said you loved it!"

"And I did," he chuckled. "But it was obvious you hadn't made anything like that before." Judy crossed her arms in false anger.

Nick snickered as he shoved himself from the swing, beginning to walk towards his parked car. It was fun to poke at Judy like this. Well, fun for him.

She probably didn't enjoy it nearly as much.

óÓÒò ~

Aiden looked around the train station, hood pulled over his ears. _Where is he?_ He thought, looking around in irritation.

Unlike most of the mammals present, he wasn't waiting on a train. No, instead he was waiting for a signature white car with distinct black markings – two stripes going over the vehicle's hood, and a smaller line running along the bottom portion of the doors.

 _There he is,_ he thought, heading over to the car he needed just as it pulled up. Sliding into the passenger seat, he pulled the door shut, looking at the black panther sitting in the driver's side, his paw outstretched. With a grin, the other reached over and took it, sliding their paws over one another as they pulled back before butting their fists together.

"Good to see ya, pal. Been a while, hasn't it?" The panther asked, pulling away from the station.

The fox chuckled, crossing his arms, letting his voice drop down into its usual, hoarse grumble. "Yeah. It was a nice trip out there, but I had to come back Not even a full day, but still."

"Ah, so you _did_ miss us," the panther grinned. Aiden scoffed. "There's work to do." He said, keeping a straight face, even as the panther nudged his shoulder.

"C'moooon, you know you missed us. Admit it!"

The fox chuckled briefly. "Alright, yeah. I missed you guys. Oh, had a run-in with with the city's most famous officers."

"For real? How was it?"

"They're nice. Don't think they have any suspicions about me yet."

"Well, yeah, you haven't exactly been seen doing anything illegal, right? I mean, aside from last night, but you got away fast enough. They didn't see you dip below street level," the black panther kept one paw on the steering wheel as they drove along, the orange from earlier having given way to a deep red on the horizon, the dark blue of night overtaking most of the sky as stars lit up above them. The roads were mostly clear at this hour, much to the fox's delight.

"It was closer than I'd like. Arctic needs to step up his game on keeping tabs around me."

"Hey, he's been working hard lately. You expect him to be able to hack into all this shit and still stay on top of all the animals around you? Nah, cut him some slack."

"Alright, you've got a point. I can sacrifice a bit of my security – it's why I have what I have."

"You're not really sacrificing anything. Just be more careful, ya know? In and out fast as ya can."

"I know," the fox grumbled. "At least we're getting somewhere now. Unlike with Bellwether, we know what to look for."

"Right," the panther nodded. "Stayin' on top of this. We got this, man."

The fox nodded again, chuckling.

"Aye, you got my new strap?" the panther asked, looking a bit excited.

"Would I be here if I didn't? It's in my bag." The panther laughed happily, tail flicking as he slapped the steering wheel. "Hell yeah, you always come through!" he exclaimed.

"Now come on, we ought to get back. Mamacita has dinner waiting."

"Please tell me it's cowboy beans?" The fox licked his lips expectantly, already able to taste the succulent combination of foods.

"You know it is, pal."

"Hell yeah."


	6. The Masked Fox

**I'm sorry to be getting this chapter out so late, I've been preoccupied with some personal issues. But they've been mostly resolved and, on top of this chapter, I should have another one (or two, depends on how this one goes) up by Saturday! I also apologize if this chapter seems a bit all over the place, I had a lot of things to get down but not nearly enough brainpower. Thank you again to everyone who takes the time to read my story, it really means a lot to me. Alright, enough jabbering. Enjoy, everyone!**

óÓÒò ~

Little under three weeks had passed since Chief Bogo had informed Judy and Nick about the assaults on the streets. And in those two weeks, every officer had been sent out on patrol, and reported a similar situation to what the fox and rabbit had: hear about a robbery, show up, report, patrol a bit, find the robber, a small, hooded figure walking off, and then lose said figure in an alley. It had grown to be a pattern, and it was driving the chief wild. "There is no possible way this is just a string of coincidences," he had yelled one morning. "This same situation happens every single time, with only a day or two in between. We can't have some mammal running around, roughing up and catching thieves in our city."

A long, almost thirty minute rant about stopping a potential vigilante had ensued after assignments were given. Never before had Judy felt her ears ring from just shouting, and she could've sworn that the podium creaked and cracked slightly under Bogo's might. After a final dismissive grunt, the officers began to file out of the room. The silence was shocking compared to the loud shouts that had occupied the room not two minutes before.

"Hopps, Wilde. My office. Now." Judy's ears pivoted as her head turned, looking up at the imposing cape buffalo with concern, before nodding. Nick had been surprisingly silent through the rant. Surely they weren't in any sort of trouble?

The trio walked in silence to the chief's office. And more silence as the door shut behind them, the buffalo staring down at Nick and Judy as they took up a single seat, a red folder resting beneath his hooves.

"We've gotten a bit more information on our assaulting mammal," the chief started. Nick's ears perked up a bit. "Like what, sir?" the fox asked.

"Since the number crimes like this have gone up, we have been able to connect a few dots. Every single mammal that was attacked had recently robbed a florist of some of their flowers. Each one was found within three blocks of said shop and, surprisingly, no video footage could be found of the actual attack. Except," he held up a hoof to silence Judy as she opened her mouth, reaching into the folder. "For one single frame that our tech team dug up."

Bogo slid a picture across his desk, Judy's small paw reaching up to take it. She and Nick examined the black and white photo, taken from a security camera adjacent to an alley. Inside was a sheep, a hoodie covering his head though, thanks to the camera's angle, an expression of fear could be seen on his face. A smaller mammal in a black hood and lengthy coat that only ended around his ankles, a bushy tail slipping out from the slit in the coat's lower back. A single strap backpack rested on the small mammal's shoulders, a larger one by his side as he held what looked like a stick to the sheep's face.

"Sir, this is the only confirmed sighting we have?" Nick asked. Their chief nodded with a snort. "Believe me, I'm disappointed about it, but it seems we're lucky to have this one. Every other bit of security footage was wiped clean." Judy frowned, leaning into the picture with squinted eyes as she tried to pick out anything else they could use.

With a groan of irritation at finding nothing, she passed the photo back to Chief Bogo. "On top of this, we've also gotten the thieves to describe who it was that attacked them. A fox, dressed in black. Boots and tucked in pants. Somewhat aggressive behavior, even before attacking. Blue eyes."

"Sir, with all due respect, why are you telling _us_ this information, and not the entire department?" Judy asked, brow furrowed in curiosity. The cape buffalo leaned back in his seat slightly.

"Because, Hopps, I'm making this an official case, and assigning it to you two. You were there during briefing – we cannot allow this to go on."

Now Nick finally spoke up, his usual grin resting on his muzzle. "Are you sure this isn't just a way to get us out of your horns for a bit?"

The only response was a snort and creak of a chair as Bogo leaned forward, sliding the folder to the duo. "I guess you'll have to figure that out for yourself, Wilde. Now get going. This isn't going to solve itself."

óÓÒò ~

Nick yawned beside Judy for the tenth time in the past quarter hour. "Carrots, we should take a break. Maybe get something to drink?" he suggested, a bit of hope in his voice. Several times now, the gray rabbit had needed to wake her partner, finally resorting to simply punching him when he wouldn't wake from a shake anymore. Finally, she had threatened to inform the chief about his naps and, much to the fox's credit, he had been fighting to stay awake ever since. But it quickly became evident that it was a losing battle.

"Nick, why is it so hard for you to keep your eyes open?" she asked.

Her partner laughed a bit. "It's warm in here, the seat is comfy, the engine purrs, and I never got my coffee this morning." 

Judy rolled her eyes. "Should've gotten up earlier, then."

Nick grinned impishly. "Yes, because it's _so_ easy to just 'get up' when a bunny is curled against you and won't budge."

Judy felt her cheeks grow warm, the memories of last night being fresh in her mind. She hadn't _meant_ to fall asleep against Nick during their sudden movie night, it just _happened_. The lights were out, the movie was slow enough to make her sleepy (the fox had already fallen asleep), and she was laying on the couch beside him, his fluffy tail resting along her back. As she had grown more drowsy, the rabbit had curled up and tugged his tail around her like a blanket. The warmth of it was enough for her to completely lose her battle with sleep, and when the two had awoken, she was curled against Nick, who had laid himself out along the couch at some point in the night.

Upon waking up, Judy was mortified to see Nick staring down at her, a smirk on his face as he immediately began to start jabbing at her with sly, teasing remarks. It wasn't until after she had fully woken that she realized she had reactively kicked the poor reynard over the couch edge, leading to her laughing herself nearly to tears at seeing his legs and tail stick over the arm of the couch, hearing him groan in pain.

Judy snickered at the memory, no longer feeling quite as embarrassed, though she knew she had given Nick more fuel to tease her with.

"What can I say, your tail is too soft and fluffy," Judy smiled, pulling into a Snarlbucks drive-thru. Nick snorted. "Yeah, about that," he started, making Judy's ears droop a bit as she ordered. "You _probably_ didn't know but..."

Judy looked at Nick, hating how he was drawing out his words, but the expression on his face seemed to be him fishing for the right ones. She pulled up to the window, reaching out for their drinks as he continued buying time. He was waiting for something, she realized, passing Nick's drink to him as she brought hers to her lips.

"For a fox, touching one's tail is kind of an... Intimate thing."

Judy coughed and choked on her drink slightly, looking over at Nick with wide eyes. "What?!" she choked out, the embarrasment from before flooding through her again.

Nick held his composure and serious face for a few seconds more, before grinning and laughing as Judy gave him a scathing look. After his laughter dying down into a chuckle, Nick turned his gaze out the window.

"I should've taken a picture of you then, Carrots. That look was priceless!" Nick smirked as Judy rolled her eyes.

"Unbelievable, Nick."

"You know you love me," he replied, sipping down a bit of his drink.

Judy ignored him as she turned their cruiser back onto the streets, not noticing her partner's expression go from joking to serious as he turned to her. "But I wasn't completely lying. I'd be careful around a fox's tail if I were you, Carrots. It's kind of like calling a bunny cute." Judy raised an eyebrow and glanced his way, silently asking for a more thorough explanation.

The fox beside her sighed. "I'll explain it later. Just be careful, alright? Typically a fox doesn't let anyone get near their tail unless they're related, or mates. And so far, I don't think I've got any Hopps DNA in me, and something tells me..." he trailed off there.

A strange silence settled between the partners. "Something tells you what?" Judy asked. She saw Nick shake his head out of the corner of her vision.

"Sorry, what? Drifted off for a second there."

Internally, Judy yelled at Nick for just brushing aside her question. Externally, she knew better than to pester him about it right now. Instead, she mentally filed the question away for another time. Among the many dozens of other questions he was yet to answer.

But the rabbit knew when she could and shouldn't ask her partner any of the things she had let build up in her mind. Most of the time, when she did ask, the response was Nick's typical joking comment, letting him dance around and away from a real answer. Infuriating as it was, Judy had begun to stop asking, instead hoping to catch her partner off-guard with them someday.

That day was not today, Judy thought defeatedly.

óÓÒò ~

"This is why I hate patrols," Nick complained, hitting his head against the steering wheel. Judy snickered at his pain, finding it amusing to be the passenger for once, having Nick suffer the horrendous traffic that plagued Zootopia's afternoons.

"Not so fun when you can just nap through half of it, is it, Nick?" Judy teased. Nick groaned again, tilting his sunglasses up to peer onto the road. "This is ridiculous! The light is GREEN! Move!"

Judy snickered at her partner's frustration, even more so when he smacked the steering wheel. With a shake of his head, however, the fox regained his composure and sat back in the seat, giving a soft chuckle. "It's almost like no one remembers how to drive," he muttered, letting his usual smile rest on his muzzle, dropping the sunglasses back over his eyes. "Now you know why I always have a headache at the end of the day," Judy said with a smile, keeping watch out the window for anything suspicious.

"At least we're not on the freeway," Nick commented. "All the honking horns and yelling would probably make you want to tear those giant bunny ears of yours right off." Judy nodded in agreement. "Not to mention, this is bad enough. Can you imagine the traffic going on? I feel sorry for any teams coming back on one," she added, shaking her head, yet thankful they'd been given a relatively clear route for most of the day. This also made their day relatively easy, as there were few things that would demand the officers to so much as exit their cruiser.

The chief had been assigning the pair routes with as many shops that sold flours as he could, within reason. A lot of the time it was a simple ride around downtown, as that was where most of the robberies and assaults had been reported. The occasional one from Tundratown or the Rainforest District came in, but the officers in that area responded well before Judy and Nick could ever have hoped to arrive.

The little gray rabbit groaned internally. The eleven days the pair had worked since they had been given an official case had led them to nothing. No video footage, no photographs, next to no witnesses, and absolutely nothing to really go on. The number of foxes who could've fit the vague description of their masked attacker was in the hundreds, making the act of narrowing them down near impossible, especially given the hostility assumed when a fox was accused of any criminal activity.

Despite the improvements that Zootopia had been making in the past months since the Night Howler case had been solved (and before, but not as significant), there was still ever-present discrimination amongst most mammals, though it ranged from use in friendly banter to derogitory insults. And, as much as she hated to admit it, areas further from the city, like Bunnyburrow, had much more of the old world outlook on predators in general. Judy's 'scuffle' with Gideon Grey at age 9 had been used to instil a cautious – if not downright terrified – mentality into her younger siblings, though she and her closely aged sisters and brothers managed to keep (most) of the young ones from being as fearful as their parents.

It was a big help in her eyes that the Hopps family farm had partnered with Gideon Grey some years later, around when he became one of the best pastry chefs in the tri-burrows. She had noticed a change within the community after that – the majority of families had been slowly growing more welcoming to newer ideals – such as not hating predators for instincts they had no choice in having. It warmed Judy's little rabbit heart to see such progress in a place so important to her.

A cough drew her attention back to reality, making Judy shake her head and look curiously at Nick, letting out a small "huh?"

The fox motioned his head in a way that indicated him rolling his eyes, taking a moment to respond. "I asked you what time it was, Fluff."

Judy looked down at her phone, slightly annoyed with herself for losing herself in through again. "Six seventeen," she said, putting it back into her pocket. Nick laughed again, and this time Judy caught him muttering "gullible bunny", making her ears drop slightly as her eyes narrowed. She drew back an arm to punch his shoulder again, before pausing, considering how many times she had done that as of late. He probably had a small bruise somewhere from the repeated blows, but had never said anything.

Nick's smirk grew ever so slightly wider as she lowered her paw, and she saw his shoulder sag almost imperceptibly. He had braced himself for the hit, she realized. _Maybe I've been hitting him a bit much lately,_ she through, frowning. When she failed with a comeback or got too excited for words, her usual resort was a punch she had assumed was lighter than it really was. If it was enough to make her partner reflexively tense up at a raised paw, it was clearly a problem, and she would have to keep herself in check.

 _"Are you sure you're not a sadist?"_ Nick had once asked her, laughing at her flustered reaction as she quickly denied the very thought. _"Wow, Carrots, I didn't think you were like that."_

Of course, this had earned another punch, only adding fuel to the fire as he let out a slightly pained snicker and rubbed where she had hit.

The radio sitting between the duo crackled to life, Clawhauser's voice breaking through the dull hum of the cuiser's engine. "Cruiser 217, what's your 10-20?"

Judy grabbed the radio before Nick could even get close to it, smiling as she responded. "We hear you, dispatch. Currently eastbound on Grass Street, what do you need us for?"

"Possible theft in progress on Savanna Central, a florist's shop, are you two able to check it out?"

"Copy that, dispatch. We'll update you as soon as we arrive."

"Roger that, dispatch out."

Nick snickered as Judy put down the radio, causing her to give him a curious look. After a glance to her, causing him to snicker again before explaining. "It's like one of those crime dramas we watch," he told her. Judy took a minute to compare what had just happened to a few of the many episodes they had watched of the multiple reality TV crime shows, and gave a chuckle. "I guess it's pretty similar in some regards," she admitted.

Eight minutes later, Judy picked up the radio again. "Dispatch, this is cruiser 217, what's the name of the shop?"

"Looks like... The Savanna Central Florets."

Judy nodded, hearing Nick whisper "Florets? Is that wordplay or do they really just have small flowers?"

Ignoring her partner, she looked out the window, pointing to a street with a matching sign just down the road. "Copy that, dispatch, we are 10-23. We'll keep you updated, over."

"10-4."

Nick looked at Judy and gave a small laugh again, shaking his head as he parked the cruiser outside the florist's shop, both officers hopping just out and beginning to approach the door. Nick paused as they reached the entrance, making Judy's ears twitch curiously as she turned around. "Nick?" she asked, frowning slightly as he held up a paw.

"I smell something, hold on. See what info you can get from the store owner really quick," he said.

Judy frowned, but nodded as she walked into the shop, noting a few overturned pots and hastily shoved about sets of flowers as she approached the counter. A portly looking lion in jeans and a tucked in navy blue shirt walked around it, broom and dustpan in paw, clearly oblivious to her presence as he began sweeping up and cleaning the small mess.

"Sir?" she asked, smiling slightly as she saw him jump in surprise, watching him set down the broom as he turned to her, a look of relief on his face. "Oh, officer, thank goodness!" he sighed, his surprisingly soft voice catching the rabbit off guard. It didn't quite match with the mammal before her, she noted.

"A weasel came in here and tore up my shop!" the lion said, running a large paw through his mane. "I still don't know what he took, if anything. It only just happened, but he made a mess of things."

Judy nodded, jotting down what the lion said on her notepad. She had taken it out almost as soon as he had begun speaking, the small lines she made forming into nearly illegible text that she would have to decipher later as she tried to keep up. The lion began describing what he had seen – a small weasel, a bandana covering his face and baseball cap on his head, dressed in a gray windbreaker and sweatpants, barging into the store with a backpack. He'd recounted how he had seen the weasel begin tearing through the plants, frantically searching for something, only to run off when the manager came out to confront him. There had been a dirt trail, but it disappeared outside the shop from a combination of wind, passing cars, and pedestrians.

Judy wrote down everything as fast as she could, silently cursing her sloppy notes as she thanked the lion, whom she found out was named Rob (ironically). As the two walked to the front doors of the shop, Nick opened one, waving at Judy to follow him, eyes filled with urgency and, of all things, hope.

The confused rabbit bid the equally lost lion a brief 'goodbye, we'll follow up here' as she followed her red-furred partner. "Nick, what is it?" she asked, brow furrowing as they jumped into their cruiser. "First thing, did we get a description of our suspect?" he asked, slamming the keys into the ignition and hitting the gas as soon as he could.

"Yeah, a weasel with a cap, bandana, windbreaker, and sweats. Why?"

"I think we found him already," he said, peering down the road. "Oh... That was fast," Judy said, smiling.

"No, no, it's not that. We found him because someone reported seeing a small masked mammal chasing a weasel with a cap and bandana."

Judy's eyes widened with hope at hearing this. "You think it's our guy?"

"I'd bet on it, and you know how my bets go." Nick smirked, referencing the plethora of wagers he'd often make with other members of the ZPD – out of roughly 143, he had won 119. Judy's smile widened. She liked these odds.

"Then step on it, Slick!"

"We may be cops, but we still have to obey laws, Carrots," Nick chuckled, though he did step on the gas a bit more as they headed towards an unmarked destination, an alleyway between a stores.

After a nod to the alley from Nick, Judy jumped from the car and brought her ears to face forward, listening for anything. The alleyway itself was empty, but she could hear something further down it. Pained gasps. An occasional thud. Metal hitting brickwork. A blur of blue and red went next to her as Nick passed, the rabbit following after and quickly surpassing the taller mammal.

The alley ended with a split path, causing Judy to pause and look both ways before spotting what the officers were looking for, down a convenient dead end to their right.

A weasel was curled up against the brick wall, arms held behind his back by something unseen, matching the description given to the officers to the letter, minus a backpack, cap, and bandana. If one were to peer closely, though, they could see these items on the other side of the alley, tossed away with little care, dirt spilling from the backpack.

Over the thief stood someone matching their vigilante's description, as best they could see: the right size for a fox, with a black, beaked hood covering their head and ears. A mask was brought up and around their muzzle, a silver, digitalized mark running diagonally down it, the center going in a zig-zag pattern and breaking in the middle. A slender black rod gleamed in the dreary alley light, extending from a gloved paw. The coat they wore, a matching black, ran almost to the ground, the frayed and cut tails of the coat visible behind a pair of boots with urban digital camouflage pants tucked into them. A single strap backpack was slung over their shoulder, navy blue in color.

Judy reached for her radio as Nick began moving down the alley, flashing his badge and yelling "ZPD, don't move!"

"Dispatch, this is Hopps, we've found the thief and it seems he's in custody, but we have a possible assailant, requesting you send someone for pick-up. I don't see this one cooperating with us." she said, beginning to go after her partner.

"Hopps, this is dispatch, what's your 10-20?" Clawhauser responded, sounding slightly concerned.

"The alleys connecting Grass Street and Flock Street," she responded, watching as Nick slowed, badge up, but taking a more relaxed stance as neared them. Judy knew what he was doing – playing the good cop, trying to ease tensions, make everyone's lives easier.

"10-4, unit 4 is en route."

 _Fangmeyer and Delgato,_ Judy thought. "Copy that," she said, before setting the radio in its holster, coming up beside Nick as the masked fox took a few steps away from the weasel, who was on the ground, groaning in pain. A metallic clacking noise bounced off the walls as the item in the fox's grip was collapsed and put away, beneath the coat.

"So, uh... Exactly what's going on here?" Nick slowly put his badge back down, stuffing his paws into his pockets, though Judy knew he was gripping his taser. The weasel looked at the cops hopefully. "I was just heading home from class," he said, gritting his teeth in pain, though Judy doubted how much pain he was actually in. "When this guy decided to start chasin' me... Right down this alley, decided it would be a good idea to tie me up and mug me... C'mon, officer's take him away!"

"Heading home from class, huh?" Nick said, a bit of doubt clearly evident in his voice as he looked over to the backpack. "You don't seem like the type to be into botany. And besides, it isn't that simple. What about you, what do you have to say?" Nick nodded upwards to the other fox, who had remained silent.

"Don't play dumb, you know he robbed Rob's store," the fox said, his voice sounding almost hoarse, gravelly in a way. The weasel gave a pleading look, scrambling upright to sit against the wall. "N-No way, he's lying!" he nearly shouted.

"He was stealing something that should've been taken off the shelves a year ago – _Mendicampum holicifius_ _._ Night Howler seeds." Nick gave the fox a look of suspicion. "Don't believe me? Look in the bag." The fox stepped away from the bag and officers, both paws held up, empty.

Judy let a paw fall to her tranquilizer gun as Nick took a cautious step towards the bag, both wary for sudden movements from either mammals. As the uniformed fox neared the burgundy backpack, Judy noticed the weasel's expression shift to one of defeat. A brief moment later, the backpack was unzipped, and Nick peered inside, shifting the contents by rotating the bag a bit, before nodding.

"That's what it looks like, at least. Which means, you're both coming in for questioning." Nick set the bag back down, paws on his hips as looked expectantly at the other fox, who still had his gloved paws raised. In silence, he narrowed his eyes, slowly bringing them down and out for Nick to cuff him. Judy watched warily as Nick drew out his handcuffs, slowly approaching the fox. Something within the rabbit didn't sit quite right.

The weasel to their left was the one to try and run away. He scrambled to his feet, eyes wide as he rushed towards Judy, dropping down to run his shoulder into her and knock her out of his way. The gray rabbit gasped from the sudden impact, Nick turning around as the other fox cursed and pushed past the blue-clad reynard. Judy scrambled back to the ground as the masked fox leaped forward and tackled the weasel, whipping out a zip tie and lashing it around his ankles as the smaller mammal let out a cry of anguish at being caught.

Nick was at the other fox's side in an instant, prying him off as the weasel shouted curses at the group. Judy drew up her tranquilizer gun as she saw Nick struggling with the other fox, who was jerking away to keep her partner's handcuffs off of him. "I'll go willingly if you stop trying to cuff me!" he hissed, Nick pulling one paw behind his back.

Nick shook his head. "No way, pal, we can't let you do that."

"Well," the other fox hissed through gritted teeth, though Judy couldn't see it. She flicked the safety of her weapon off, ready to shoot the fox if he struggled much more.

"I can't let you just take me in, then."

With that, the masked fox pushed back and forced Nick against the wall. She heard him gasp and saw his grip loosen, letting the black-clad reynard leap forward. Judy fired off a dart, watching as it flew just over her target's back. Another shot, this one lodging into his backpack. And her third shot managed to hit her target, lodging into his side.

Satisfaction filled the officer as she saw him gasp and reach around for the dart, pulling it from his side as she and Nick walked over. Her partner let out a "tsk, tsk" as he neared. "You could've made it easier and just come with us, but you both just had to try and run for it."

The other fox, down on all fours, was reaching under his coat, leading the partners to be wary as they got closer. Judy's ears perked as she heard him let out a gasp. "There was no 'try'," the masked fox groaned, surprising Judy and Nick as he pushed himself up to his feet and began running.

"What?" The rabbit said, looking at her dumbfounded partner for a moment before giving chase, the pattering of feet behind her telling her that Nick was right on her tail.

Judy reached up and grabbed her radio. "Dispatch, this is Hopps, we've got a 10-95 but the other is making a break for it, we are in pursuit!"

She and Nick shared a glance as the fox ahead rounded the corner and disappeared from immediate view, each sharing one thought: _What just happened?_


	7. Hot Pursuit

Judy glared at the black-tipped tail of the fox ahead of her, watching it disappear around a corner. This fox was fast, faster than she had expected. Nick was behind her, trying to catch up after having handcuffed the thief to a light to hold him until the officers that were called for backup arrived.

With a small skid, the rabbit turned the corner and continued her pursuit, watching as the fox sped towards a red-painted fence, roughly four times his size. _Gotcha,_ she through, a small smirk appearing on her face, before it was practically wiped away by a few boards being pushed aside as her target slipped through the gap. A brief memory flashed in her mind, of when she had first confronted Nick about lying to her on her first day as an officer – this was that same alley, the same boards he had shifted.

The thought was pushed to the back of her mind as she rounded the corner again, giving a brief look around to see the black-clad figure racing for the corner. He knew this area about as well as Nick did, she realized, casting a glance behind her to see her friend turning from the alley not far behind.

Judy leaped at a pole once she reached the corner, grabbing onto it and using her momentum to swing around, gaining a fair amount of ground as she saw the fox glance back, eyes giving no hint of surprise or frustration, but rather a calm gaze. She grit her teeth and kept going, ears flailing wildly behind her as she cast another glance at Nick, who was straining to keep up with the two.

The honk of a horn brought her attention back to her front as she witnessed the fox ahead of her slide over the hood of a small car, the pig driving it shaking their hoof while the other clutched their chest from the sheer surprise. They didn't even have time to start moving forward again before Judy leaped across the hood, planting her paws on it and pushing off in an attempt to gain a little more speed.

Another glance behind her revealed Nick going around the car as it pulled forward, the look of strain on his face making it obvious that he wasn't going to be able to keep up for much longer. He was capable of either short sprints or a marathon jog, but not a marathon sprint.

The radio at her shoulder crackled to life as Clawhauser spoke through. "Hopps, Fangmeyer and Delgato have picked up the weasel, do you two have the other one?" he asked. _Not now,_ she thought in response, focusing on the black back of her target as he raced along the sidewalk, brushing past confused pedestrians. Though confusion gave way to slight concern as they spotted Judy, clearly after him, with Nick in tow, the red fox still forcing himself to keep up with them.

Another left turn, down an alley, before making a right to cut onto another street. "Hopps?" Clawhauser asked. "For the love of- hold on, Clawhauser!" She snapped, immediately feeling guilty for it, able to clearly picture the cheetah's pained face at her response. She followed up quickly, hoping to make up for it. "We're in some alley's right now, I think we're going north on... Where _are_ we?"

This fox was leading them along a winding route, and she had no idea where they were headed, until Nick's winded voice responded for her. "Downtown, Pack Street, headed towards Flock Street."

"10-4, Fangmeyer is on his way to help." Clawhauser replied. "Thanks, big guy," was Nick's response before going quiet, Judy casting another glance behind her to find that he was no longer in sight. She turned her attention back to the fox ahead of her, watching him take another left onto the sidewalk.

 _Could you_ please _just give up, already?!_ She thought to herself, feeling her legs begin to burn.

As she took the same left, she watched with satisfaction as the red-furred malefactor was forced to pause as the traffic ahead of him blocked him off. After a brief glance behind them, though, the fox looked around for an alternate route, buying her just enough time to use the last of her energy in an attempt to tackle him to the ground after closing the last bit of distance.

With all her force behind it, Judy threw herself at the fox, forcing him to the ground, his deep blue eyes going wide at the sudden impact. For a split second, she thought she had him, before she felt him rolling beneath her, flipping the pair over so he was on top of her, his masked snout inches from her face as the beaked hood barely clung to his head, thanks to his ears.

His eyes widened again as Judy curled her knees to her chest and pushed against him with enough force to fling him into the air for a brief moment, his backpack clattering as he hit the ground on his back. The two managed to scramble to their feet in the same instant, each one giving the other an intense gaze – the amethyst of eyes of the bunny's, determined to bring down the other; and the blue of the fox's, determined to get away from his pursuers.

Judy glanced down as she noticed movement in his right paw, seeing it flick out from a pocket and off to the side. Her eyes instinctively trailed after it, only to widen as she realized it was a simple bouncy ball, quickly turning back to her opponent to find him moving across the street in the opposite direction.

With no thought she began to take off after him, only to be stopped as something tugged on the back of her uniform, yanking her from the road as cars began to rush past. With a groan, she landed on the ground, paws resting behind her as she looked up at Nick's exhausted face, his grip on her shirt collar loosening. "That was close, Carrots. You can't just chase after someone blindly – you might make good pancakes, but I don't think you'd _be_ a good pancake," he chuckled, catching his breath.

Judy offered only a small, tired chuckle at his joke before letting her gaze turn to across the street, clambering to her feet as she saw the masked fox staring at the two between the passing cars. She narrowed her eyes as she studied him, watching him turn away and begin jogging down the street, only to disappear down another alley. With a sigh, she admitted defeat and turned away.

The bunny and fox both sat on the sidewalk, catching their breath, until Fangmeyer and Delgato arrived with their police cruiser, giving the pair a lift back to theirs. The ride back was mostly in silence, Judy uttering a small "thank you" to Nick, who simply smirked and nodded. "That makes, what, ten to two, in my favor?" He asked.

Judy huffed and lightly punched his arm. "You wish!.. Seven to three, counting the Night Howler case..." She admitted, causing him to let out a short laugh.

Once the partners had been dropped off at their cruiser, they jumped in and began making their way back to the shop several blocks away. After a brief check-in with the store owner, the two were headed back to the ZPD – after a brief stop for coffee, as Nick demanded one to re-energize himself after the "ridiculously long" chase, to which Judy rolled her eyes. She had been convinced to stop only once her stomach grumbled audibly enough for Nick to mention a carrot bagel he'd heard of at a nearby cafe.

Thirty minutes later, the duo finally had the cruiser parked in the Precinct and were headed for their cubicles. The paperwork for their little chase, and for the weasel's unique capture, wasn't going to do itself.

~ óÓÒò ~

The red fox stopped just inside an alleyway, planting his gloved paws on his knees as he bent over to catch his breath. He shifted over to the side a moment later, moving further down the alleyway to avoid anyone walking by from seeing him – at least, seeing him immediately.

With a light cough he undid the strap on his backpack, tugging it over his shoulder and unzipping it, swiftly taking off his coat and black hoodie, stuffing them inside, replacing them with a bright red hoodie bearing a winged fox skull. He tugged his pants out from his boots to make them seem more casual, and took off the gloves, shoving them into his pack as well. He also removed his belt, all the various items attached to it falling as he threw them inside. His mask came off next, also being tossed into the bag. Lastly, he undid a small strap towards the top of it, the navy blue bag sagging as it released its teardrop shape to become a simple, two-strap backpack.

The whole process took just under a minute.

He smirked. This was a cleverly designed bag he'd made, and it often came in handy. Cops would be searching for a blue-eyed red-furred fox, yes, but his description no longer completely matched. His backpack always had several books in it, covering a small pouch for his outfit so as to make it seem like padding.

With a light hum, he headed down the alley, taking out a pair of earbuds and putting them on and plugging them into his phone. With a swift glance to scan his surroundings, and at being satisfied with the lack of police, the fox began heading to Sahara Square.

Today, despite the problems that had arisen, had been successful. Phraxus didn't get their Night Howler seeds. The weasel was in custody. And the fox had still gotten away.

Flashing a smile, to a passing ocelot as he walked along, Aiden stuffed his paws into his pocket, keeping his eyes out for a familiar black and white car.


	8. More Than Meets The Eye

Eight times.

Eight times, Judy and Nick had nearly caught this fox. And each time, he slipped away.

The first time, he had managed to slip between the closing doors of a train.

The second, fifth, sixth, and seventh, he had disappeared in an alley.

The third time, he had lost them in a large crowd during a farmer's market.

The fourth time, he had vanished inside of a warehouse.

The eighth time, he had sprinted through a roundabout's busy traffic to lose the officers.

Even the other units had made run-ins with the fox, but none had come so closely to catching him as Nick and Judy.

And now they were chasing him again, through a small area between Tundratown and Sahara Square. Nick's ears folded against his head as he kept pace with his partner and their vigilante target. At one point, the officers had tried using boas – with the chief's permission, of course – only to find their target rolling over, before it went slack and fell away, a clean cut going through the rope. And they still hadn't figured out how the tranquilizer dart from their first meeting hadn't stopped the fox, but the consensus was that he had given himself adrenaline to cancel it out.

Nick rounded the corner beside Judy as they heard a honking horn ahead of them, the masked fox taking a sudden turn across the street, a cougar family slamming on their brakes with wide eyes. The officers sprinted across the street as they gathered their breath, Nick being thankful that no other cars were heading their way.

The chase resumed for what felt like an hour. The fox had been leading them through winding paths along the streets of Zootopia, even briefly turning into Tundratown before crossing back into the northern portion of Downtown. Now heading south, Nick had a growing feeling that the group was headed for the train systems again. Frustration grew within him, he didn't want to keep chasing after this fox every day, and he knew Judy didn't want to, either. The two of them often had late nights poring over every little bit of information they could get in vain hopes of getting a lead.

So far, nothing had come up. But there was always something nagging at them about the appearance of the fox, something familiar. Judy could swear it was in his eyes, but Nick was more focused on parts of his outfit. It had seemed like they had seen a fox wearing similar clothes somewhere, at some point, but could never pin down who it was.

Another few turns, and the train terminal came into view. Judy let out an audible groan of defeat, seeing the fox heading straight for it. But that groan turned into a small yelp of joy from them both when a police cruiser pulled up in front of them, forcing the fox to stop dead in his tracks, before making a break to his left. Judy and Nick adjusted their course as McHorn stepped out of his cruiser, shouting for the vigilante to stop. At seeing that he had no intentions of doing so, McHorn got back into his cruiser with a grumble, taking off after them, only to stop as the masked reynard dipped into an alley, leaving the smaller officers to continue their chase.

Nick clutched at his chest lightly, stumbling at the burning sensation in his lungs. This chase had gone on for far too long, and it was beginning to take its toll on him. Judy was faring better, but he had a feeling even she wouldn't be able to keep going much longer. Which also meant that their fox couldn't, either.

This showed quickly, as the duo began to gain on him. Nick slowly started to fall behind his partner, gasping on occasion as he kept up the pursuit as best he could. Judy, seeing the fox slow down, began putting on a burst of speed. Nick grinned, able to see it now.

Judy, tackling the fox down, cuffing the winded mammal as Nick caught up to her. Reading him his rights as they pushed him into a cruiser after signaling for another unit. The chief actually smiling for once in his life at seeing his best officers bringing in such an evasive foe.

But that wasn't what was happening, he realized, eyes widening as Judy raced into the street after their target. Something flicked from the other fox's wrist, and Judy turned to look at it, again distracted by something so small – another bouncy ball. Her feet tangled with one another as she fought to keep from turning, tripping her in the middle of the street.

She never saw the semi truck coming.

~ óÓÒò ~

The sixth sense. That gut feeling, that unspoken _instinct_ that every animal had.

Oh, yes, nature had granted each animal their share of heightened abilities – rabbits were fast and could hear well. Cheetahs could put on sudden bursts of speed. Black panthers could blend in with the dark of a rainforest. Foxes could move quietly and had exceptional night vision.

And yet these were all general abilities, given to most members of a species. For each animal, the sixth sense was unique. Most often it was just the feeling that one was being watched. Another common one was when someone was no longer alone. Each of these had their own sort of level, ranging from just before it's too late, to being an immediate realization.

For the black-clad fox, it was a realization that something was about to go horribly wrong.

A million thoughts raced through his mind, trying to find the source of the feeling. Did he throw the ball into something? Had he lost an item of his?

And then he heard the rumble of a truck nearing him. Large, likely an eighteen-wheeler or something similar. The fox knew that Hopps and Wilde were behind him, and gaining. He knew he had been slowing down – that was why he threw the ball, as a distraction. A chance to slip out of sight.

Now his gut was telling him something was wrong. He had next to no time to take a flying leap of faith and decide if he should turn back, and leap out, or continue running. With an internal groan, he spun around, boot gripping the concrete below well enough to nearly make him topple backwards, as he leaped for the rabbit officer, noticing her on the ground in the middle of the road. She wore an expression just like a deer in the headlights, as the loud horn rang out and the sound of tires trying to halt a massive vehicle's progress on the road.

With a silent prayer of hope to his gods, and a flying leap, the fox grabbed for the bunny in hopes that he could get to her before the truck could.

~ óÓÒò ~

They often say that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. Sometimes, it's true. Sometimes, your mind goes completely blank. Sometimes, your mind kicks into overdrive and begins to imagine what your life could be like if you weren't about to die.

For Judy Hopps, this was what happened.

Flashes of what her life could be like. More blue uniforms. Lights, badges. Some orange, a few flashes of emerald green. Happiness, mostly. A bit of pain here and there. But overall, a life she would love. One of hope and love, in all forms from all kinds of mammals.

Instead of panic, Judy felt calm as she turned her head to see the large white and silver grill of the truck bearing down on her. A calm that was changed into confusion as a set of firm arms wrapped around her and tore her from the ground. Then her world spun end over end as her stomach lurched and her feet kicked at the air for a moment, before meeting pavement, then air, cycling between them a few times as she spun, feeling something always land between her and the ground, before it disappeared, leaving her to come to her senses on the pavement. The truck screeched by her right as it continued to try and stop.

Nick was at her side in an instant, dropping to his knees as he set a paw to her head, eyes worried. "Judy, are you alright?"

She was breathing quickly, eyes wide and nose twitching, but after briefly checking over her body, she gave her partner a shallow nod. A set of footprints sounded behind Nick and he spun around, taser drawn, as Judy sat upright and drew her dart gun. The vigilante fox stood a few feet away, paws up, but with a concerned gaze.

"Is she alright?" he asked. Judy gave another shallow nod as she got to her feet, Nick rising with her. His arms lowered as he let out a sigh of relief, both officers still aiming their defensive weapons at him. "Good. That shouldn't have happened. This road should be dead around now."

"How would you know that?" Judy asked, more curious than anything. The fox just stood there and stared, as if internally debating whether or not to tell them. "You can study the routes a large truck like that will take in the morning, assuming you can figure out how to get them. That one shouldn't have been on this road."

Nick and Judy glanced at one another, the smaller officer stepping to her partner's side. They were spaced out, however, should the other fox decide to suddenly attack.

Nick shifted a bit as the masked fox turned so that his shoulder was facing them, the other paw blocked from their view. "I'm sorry that this happened," he muttered, eyes darting between Judy and Nick constantly. "You're going to be more sorry when you're behind bars," Judy said. The fox locked eyes with her.

"You're taking the fact that you nearly died rather well," he mused.

Judy's ears flicked, hearing a faint scuffle to her right. Nick was moving away, out of sight. The fox didn't seem to notice, making the small smirk attempting to form on Judy more difficult to control. "It hasn't quite kicked in yet," she replied. A bit of red and orange appeared out of the corner of her eyes, and she reflexively looked at it for a brief second. Nick was creeping up on the masked fox, taser in paw.

The vigilante was still watching Judy. Had he noticed her look away from him? His expression, or what she could see of it, hadn't changed. Nick and Judy had the upper paw here, she was sure of it.

There was a flick of an ear from the fox and he lifted his head. "Officer Wilde, if you think I don't know what you're doing, you're sorely mistaken." Nick hissed and leaped forward, trying to tackle the fox, but he darted to the right and avoided the uniformed reynard. Judy fired off one of her darts, smirking with satisfaction as this one shot hit its mark, the needle embedding itself in the fox's side. His eyes grew wide as he reached under his coat, turning from the officers as he tried to move to the alley before the concoction kicked in and put him to sleep.

Nick scrambled to his feet and dove at the vigilante again as Judy started to do the same. He let out a yelp as the larger officer managed to bring him down, glass clinking as something skittered between buildings. Nick wrestled with the masked fox, trying to pull his arms back and handcuff him, Judy's weapon still trained on his side if he struggled too much more. Unfortunately for her and Nick both, the fox pushed himself up and rolled over, essentially slamming Nick to the ground beneath him and knocking the wind out of her partner.

The masked fox scrambled to his feet, eyes almost pleading as he looked at Judy, making her freeze for a split second. "I don't want to fight you two, but I can't be arrested, either!" he hissed as Nick pulled himself from the ground. "Not yet!"

"Then maybe you shouldn't have been running around and attacking other mammals!" Judy retorted.

"And what, let the Night Howlers be used on the city again?"

Nick and Judy paused for a moment, giving the masked fox a look of both concern and curiosity. "What, you two really thought that the whole Night Howler thing ended with Bellwether?" the fox hissed again. "Don't be stupid! Something _that_ dangerous is a hot commodity in the underworld once the public is made aware of it. Between the two of you, Nick should've at least expected it."

The officers had gone somewhat slack as the fox talked, but immediately went tense as Nick's past was brought up – though Nick was visibly less affected by it than Judy. She had her gun trained on the other fox's chest again, but movement behind him drew her attention away for a moment. A police cruiser had pulled up down the street, Wolford stepping out with his own tranquilizer gun drawn. He nodded at Judy as he slowly approached, coming within range but hoping to catch the fox off guard. Judy gave another small nod as she returned her gaze to the fox.

"I'm trying to _help_ the city. But I couldn't just go to the police with a small hunch. City hall is a total mess. _No one_ I went to professionally was of any help. So yeah, I started taking matters into my own paws. And look at that, Phraxus isn't getting what they want, and evidence for and against them is building."

"Wait, wait, wait, you couldn't go to the police with a small hunch? Phraxus?" Nick asked, head tilted in an effort to get the other fox to make a few dots for them to connect. Judy's large ears flicked a bit as she heard a nearby car engine, but shrugged it off as another cruiser.

"Not long after the whole Night Howler thing ended, some of my pals heard rumors about them being trafficked in the underworld. Just a hunch, rumors. Can't quite go to the police and say 'Hey, I think Night Howlers are being sold on the black market,' and expect something to be done. It's happened before. So we did some digging. Found out it was true, but the way things went, we weren't going to be on the force's good side. Self defense that doesn't look quite like self defense." The fox gestured a bit wildly as he spoke, pointing at the officers, or waving his paws about briefly. "And Phraxus? Think of it like a new gang or mafia. With really, really high hopes."

Judy frowned at the news and idea, as did Nick. The idea of someone using the Night Howlers as a weapon again would never sit well with them, or anyone after what Bellwether had done. She had nearly torn Zootopia apart in her plan, but Judy and her series of lucky breaks had managed to stop her just in time. And Nick, of course. He had been the biggest help she could've ever asked for on that case, and they often looked back at the memories fondly. Both of them skirted around the idea of what would have happened had he not been there to help the little rabbit during many points there.

"Be that as it may," Judy said. "We can't let you keep running around, doing this."

"We've been over this each time you two corner me," the fox replied. "Once this is all over I'll gladly turn myself in. But not before."

Nick gave a sigh. "Then this back and forth game is just going to continue," he said. The other fox grunted and nodded.

"Unfortunately." he said, just before turning and darting for the alley. He was unaware of Wolford behind him, however, stumbling slightly as he caught a flash of white before a dart tore into his backpack. Judy fired off a dart of her own, this one actually cutting into the backpack, the front of it tearing open as he continued running for the alley. Nick started after him, but stopped as a pair of headlights lit up the alley, blinding him briefly.

Judy heard the sound of a door being shut and an engine roaring to life and Nick grunting as he dove to the side, a white sports car with two black stripes running along its length and doors peeling from the alley. Wolford let out a curse as he raced back for his cruiser, the sirens already being flicked on by his partner as the two began to give immediate pursuit.

Judy helped drag Nick back to his feet as they watched the cruiser tear past. "That... Didn't quite go according to plan," he said, brushing off his uniform. Judy nodded. "Surprised to not hear any of your quips during that," she commented. Nick shrugged.

"I was thinking about what the fox said," he explained. "I swear, if we were a show, he'd be the most expositional character."

Judy nodded, looking around. "Thinking about what?"

"The Night Howlers. And whatever Phraxus is."

"Ah... As for the plants, we need to get them pulled off of the shelves as soon as possible. We can look in the database for anything on... Phraxus, whoever or whatever they are."

Nick nodded. "But what about our vigilante friend? We aren't much closer to figuring out who it is."

Judy nodded this time, spotting something laying on the ground in the alley. "True," she said, "But I think we may have just found a lead."

Her partner walked over, head tilted in curiosity as the small rabbit held up a red hoodie. Their eyes locked as a fuzzy, half-remembered image appeared in their minds, of a red fox looking for the train station weeks ago.

~ óÓÒò ~

Two days had passed since Judy and Nick had nearly caught their vigilante. The Night Howler plants were beginning to be taken off the shelves, but it was a slow process. After a more thorough investigation of the area where they and the vigilante had made their standoff, another item was found: A small syringe that had once been filled with adrenaline. This proved the theories of how the fox had gotten away numerous times after being hit with a tranquilizer dart. The small bit of DNA left on it, however, led to a concerning dead end in the ZPD database: no mammal had a matching DNA.

"But that doesn't make sense," Judy said, Nick looking over the report, coffee in his free paw. "We should have him on file, right?"

"Not if he's a first time offender, Carrots," Nick said calmly, taking a sip of his coffee. "He'd have no reason to be in the database, then."

With a grumble, the rabbit agreed and crossed her arms, spinning in her chair to face her computer as she began trying a new tactic. "That fox we met at the park, he might match the description. His name was Aiden, right? Aiden Wick?" Nick gave an affirmative grunt. "I'll see if we have anything on him, even just a brief mention in a confession, or something. Anything."

Nick continued to sip at his drink, before pushing his chair over into her cubicle, looking over her shoulder. She did her best to ignore him, but he kept drawing closer to her shoulder, eventually resting his chin on it. Judy gave a small shrug to try and throw him off, but he just resettled with a chuckle. "Nothing?" he asked, letting his smile dip slightly at her frustrated growl.

"Nothing," she confirmed. "All we have on a fox with the last name of 'Wick' is an old police veteran who's around his fifties, way out past Bunnyburrow. Somehow I don't think it's him."

"Mm. What's his name?" he asked.

"John Barry Wick," she replied. Nick snorted.

"What, like the movie?" he asked, grinning in amusement. Judy shrugged in response.

"Seems that way. But I'm pretty sure it's more coincidence, or he was way more into the movie than should be healthy," she chuckled.

"Coincidence? That seems a bit too much to believe. Completely, at least. After all, it _was_ coincidence that you happened to be putting a ticket on a car just to see Finnick and I getting ready for a hustle," Nick said, smirking as he pulled away from his partner, taking another drink of his coffee. "And we know what happened after that."

Judy folded her arms and spun her chair around, trying and failing to hide her smug smile. "You mean when I hustled you right back, out of 48 hours, two days of sleep, and four hundred dollars?"

Nick grinned and rolled his eyes. "Hey, I _let_ you hustle me," he said, making Judy laugh.

"Says the fox who got a whole new life because of a 'dumb bunny,'" she responded.

"Maybe I just wanted an excuse to have a change of scenery?" Nick challenged, grinning.

"And so you did a complete 180?" Judy asked. Nick nodded. "Why?"

"Well," Nick said, his smirk growing a bit mischevious as he leaned down to meet Judy at her eye level. "A cute wittle bunny went past, flaunting a more stable paycheck and a shiny new outfit."

Judy's amethyst eyes went wide at hearing the word "cute," immediately pushing herself and her chair away from Nick, into her desk. She floundered for a response briefly as Nick watched her with an amused expression, before giving in. "Niiiiiiick," she said, her tone somehow that of a whining child and a scolding parent at the same time. All he did was laugh, however, before taking another drink. "Fox: ten; rabbit: zero," he snickered, rolling his chair back to his own cubicle.

A light silence fell on the two as they both began to dig for any information to help them with the case, before Judy let out a loud sigh and pushed away from her desk. Nick had been surprisingly quiet the past few minutes, meaning he was likely in another doodle session. Now it was her turn to push over to Nick's cubicle, peering around his arm as he scribbled away on a sheet of paper. She let out a frustrated groan as he shifted to block the paper from her view. "Uh-uh, Carrots, no peeking at today's art," he said.

Judy looked around his cubicle to buy him time to finish. The walls were lined with crude drawings of other officers, as well as some personal pictures, though those were significantly lacking in comparison. A few pictures were of just Nick taking a selfie with a goofy face or smug smile. One had him standing beside a small white fox – Finnick, his old hustle partner and friend. In one picture, Finnick and Nick were sitting on some beanbags in the back of the smaller fox's van, the front seats visible beyond them as they played some card game, a few glass bottles around them. Another was of Finnick and Nick, sunglasses on, as they sat in an alley. Finnick was playing a guitar, while Nick had his arm around him, mouth open and head tilted back like he was singing some old tune.

What surprised Judy, though, were the pictures of her and Nick. Most were simple ones, and she could remember what was happening for the majority. Like the one of her and Nick sitting in Snarlbucks, a bit of frosting on her nose after eating a slice of carrot cake a little too quickly. And another, of them walking into the Precinct, side by side. Her head tilted, not noticing how close together they walked, how their feet seemed to move at the same pace. Given the perspective, it seemed to be a photo Clawhauser had taken one morning and sent to her partner. Another one was of him in his casual clothes, holding an embarrassed Judy up by the back of her uniform after having ambushed one of his selfie sessions.

Smiling to herself, Judy turned around to face Nick again, seeing him turn in his seat. "Alright, you can see the masterpiece now." He held up a piece of yellow lined paper, showing a rather unflattering (albeit slightly accurate) depiction of Chief Bogo shouting. His head was too large, horns almost too small, arms too short and uniform a mess. But still, Judy laughed, and took the picture from him with a grin.

"Amazing as always, Nick," she said, holding out a paw for a pin. Once she had been given one, she stuck it between a picture of Francine, with a longer trunk and slightly wider body, and Higgins, his nose far too large and, again, body slightly wider than should be. Nick just snickered as he put away his papers and pen.

"Alright, paperwork's done. Ready to head out?" he asked. Judy nodded and pushed herself back to her cubicle, doing a minute long session of tidying up before she slipped from her seat, Nick waiting just outside her area patiently.

"So, what're we doing for tonight?" Judy asked. Nick looked down at her, slightly surprised. "What do you mean?" he asked curiously.

"Weren't we going to get dinner and watch TV?" Judy looked up at him, almost expectantly. Nick gave a dismissive shrug and stretched, yawning.

"Well, _I_ was planning on heading home, throwing something in the microwave, and crashing on the couch," he replied. Judy paused, nose twitching. "No idea what you had planned, Carrots. Of course, I could be convinced to change my plans with some... Persuasion." He looked down at her with a smug smile, emerald eyes twinkling with faint hints of mischief.

Judy stared at him for a moment, before giving a soft sigh of defeat. "Alright, we'll get food from that noodle place tonight," she said. Nick grinned.

"Always knew I could count on you, Carrots. But uh, I forgot my wallet back at home."

Judy gave him a look of disbelief. Nick clearly saw this, taking the chance to comment "I'd lose my head if it weren't attached." She hurried after him, waving goodbye to Clawhauser as they walked out of the Precinct and to Nick's car. As Judy had asked, they went and got dinner, stopping at her place long enough to change and grab a few of her things, before going back to Nick's to sit on his couch and watch TV.

Judy was getting everything set up for them when she looked on the coffee table, where Nick had deposited the contents of his pockets. Keys, phone, some loose change and, of course, his wallet.

"Nick!" she yelled, turning to see him walking down the hallway, tie loose around his neck as he had begun unbuttoning his uniform's shirt. He paused and turned to face her, paws over a button on the center of his chest as he gave her his trademark smirk.

"It's called a hustle, sweetheart."


	9. Two Names, One Face

Judy peered out onto the empty road before her and Nick, the black cruiser they drove quietly humming as it went along. "The tech team said he was in this area, right?" the rabbit asked, glancing to her partner as he slowly tore his eyes from the phone in his paw.

"Yeah, they're still trying to find him from that alley." Nick replied, letting his gaze fall to the small screen again.

"I'm surprised they found him so easily, though. Thought all evidence of him was being wiped?" Judy thought aloud.

"Maybe he's not our masked friend. Or maybe they're covering his tracks only when he's a vigilante," Nick suggested. Judy nodded in agreement as they rounded a corner. "But what I don't get is why he's in a construction area. Most of these streets are shut down to put up new apartments."

"Maybe he's scoping out the area for something specific?" Judy said, only a bit hopefully.

"Like what? Think he's going to steal a crane?" Nick snickered.

"That's not what I meant," Judy started, letting her words trail off as she saw an ocelot walking along the sidewalk opposite them, dressed in the bright clothing of a construction worker. A large yellow duffel bag was slung over their shoulder, the matching hardhat tilting back against their ears as they stared intently at a phone. The rabbit officer frowned slightly, looking along the streets for any other workers, head tilting when she found none. "Nick, there was no actual construction scheduled for today, right?" she asked.

Nick nodded, not taking his eyes from the phone as he brought his coffee cup up to his lips. "Shouldn't be, why?"

Judy reached over and tapped his shoulder, pointing to the ocelot. Nick gave a curious grunt. "Huh... Maybe they didn't get the memo," he said. Judy rolled her eyes. "Why does it matter, though?" Nick asked.

"Why would there be a construction worker here when there isn't supposed to be construction?" Judy said, stopping the cruiser. Nick looked over to her. "Like I said, didn't get the memo," he suggested. "Or they're a new worker who forgot that there's no construction when rain is in the forecast. Overeager to get started on that job. Those are my best bets."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Judy said, stepping on the gas.

"Oh hey, they found him," Nick said. Judy glanced at him expectantly, the reynard's thumb flying over the screen a few times as he checked the locations given. "He's around the corner and down the street. So, how're we going to do this? You just going to get out and talk to him, or what?"

Judy tilted her head slightly, debating what would be best. "I don't think we should take the cruiser up to him. And we shouldn't leave it unattended, like last time. So which of us is going to go talk to him?" She slowed the large vehicle down to a stop, looking over at her partner. The uniformed fox set the phone down and turned to her.

"Well, one of us is faster on foot, already has a notepad and recorder pen, caught a hustler, solved fourteen missing mammal cases in forty-eight hours, was-"

"Okay, okay!" Judy huffed and rolled her eyes. "If you didn't want to go talk to him, you just had to say so. Just in case, be ready to pick me up and chase after him, if he runs." Nick nodded as his partner slipped from the driver side and onto the pavement, taking his spot at the wheel after some adjusting of the seat.

"Alright, don't take too long, Fluff. I think I can hear a couple of bagels calling our names," Nick said, causing Judy to roll her eyes and snicker as she began walking around the corner.

Neither of them saw the ocelot disappear inside a buiding marked for no entry, tossing aside the hardhat and construction vest as a cheetah and wolf held the door open for them.

~ óÓÒò ~

The ocelot cast her faded green gaze around the dimly lit room with distaste, scowling. "You guys chose one of the worst apartments for this job," she said, voice heavily tinged with a foreign accent neither of her partners could place – just like the others. The wolf lit up a cigarette, the brief flash of his lighter showing a pale scar over one of his amber eyes. The cheetah scratched behind his head, his golden eyes darting outside nervously.

"Look, Es, we din't pick this place. It just so happens to overlook the fox," he said, moving to the stairs.

The lobby of the apartment was empty, lacking even a desk or chairs, but it was more set up than the majority of the rest of the building. The closer one went to the top, the less complete it seemed: doors would be missing, some walls were gone, and nearly no sort of wiring or plumbing was set up for the upper floors. The trio moved on in silence, until they reached their stop on the eighth floor.

"So, we're goin' just shoot the fox an' leave him for dead?" The cheetah asked. The wolf grunted an affirmative.

"Da. I would prefer to gut him myself, the ublyudok, but the boss wants it clean and fast."

The ocelot grumbled and made way to one of the rooms with no doors, smiling a bit as she noticed a tarp spread along the ground, a window cracked, and a chair pulled up for her. "Good to see you tarados did something before I got here," she commented.

"Cm'on, Es, you know we aren't that lazy!" the cheetah whined.

"Corrección: I know _he_ is not that lazy," she corrected him, pointing to the wolf. In the brighter light of the room, she could see him wearing a dull brown trench coat, collar pushed up high and belt tied around his waist. He wore an olive green turtle neck and tan slacks, a deep green beret sitting between his ears. He was a stark contrast to the cheetah, who wore baggy pants barely held up with a belt, a dirty tank top for some little known rap group she didn't care to think of, and a bandana pulled tied around his neck, a baseball cap sitting at an angle over one of his ears.

"Ustedes dos son un desastre," she muttered, setting down the duffel bag onto the tarp. The cheetah peered out the window, eyes squinted against the fading sunlight, fluffy gray storm clouds beginning to take over the skies. "English, please?" he requested.

"It means we are a mess, Max." The cheetah turned to the wolf to see him taking a drag from his cigarette, nodding to the ocelot as she drew out a box from the duffel bag, clearing away basic construction equipment. Hammers, crowbars, screwdrivers, and other items clattered down as the black metal box was withdrawn, a satisfying pop sounding as she opened it. Max grinned as she began to take out multiple pieces to a long scoped rifle, beginning to connect them together with practiced speed. A chrome barrel was slid into place as the folding stock was brought out, before a silencer was attached to the end of the weapon.

"Oh, tha's a pretty one," he said, the wolf nodding with satisfaction as Es went over to the window.

The wolf walked over to join them and stared out the window, a scowl forming on his muzzle as his free paw traveled up to the scar over his eye.

"You goin' to put one in his head?" Max asked. "Or are we gonna make him suffer a bit, bleed 'im out?"

"The boss wants it done fast, yes?" Es said, lifting up the rifle as she peered down the scope.

"Doesn't mean we can't have fun," Max countered. The wolf walked over and gripped the larger feline's shoulder. "He wouldn't even let me do this. Wants it clean. Fast." The wolf pointed out the window, to the fox. "But I want to see him suffer... Es, let him bleed. I will take the heat later."

Es gave a dark grin as she held up a paw, her fingers curling around the sleek metal casing of the bullet placed into it by the wolf. She slowly slid it into the chamber, loading the weapon. Bullets, and guns in general, were reserved for important members of business, as well as high-ranking officers. In the underground though, they were treasured and revered for their general rarity, though with the rise of crime they had begun to resurface on the black market. This didn't make it any easier to find the actual ammunition, though. The majority was guarded like gold or diamonds, and what little could be smuggled from the police and SWAT teams was high in price.

"This bullet," the wolf said, his voice low and somewhat threatening, "cost me one hundred dollars. If you miss, it's not only the boss you'll need to worry about."

"Didn't you get three, Lesn- Ow!" Max asked, letting out a pained grunt as the wolf smacked the back of his head. Es rolled her eyes, leveling the scope with the fox's center as he walked down the street, hood pulled over his head and backpack over his shoulder. She took a moment to drink in his appearance, a small ritual of sorts that she always had. Commit the image just before she pulled the trigger to memory. Every detail – the time, the place, what they wore, even the direction of the wind. She would later write it down, so as to not forget, the small book locked away in her home, in a hidden safe only she and their boss knew the code to.

Their target wore a charcoal hoodie, his black and red backpack lightly jostling with each step he took. His red and black tail swayed lazily as he walked, the unique boots on his feet kicking up bits of dust as he walked, paws in pocket. She began depressing the trigger, when Max leaned down. "Hey, Es, wait! Look, there's a cop comin'!" he said.

Es pulled away from the scope, peering down the street to see a uniformed rabbit turn the corner and walk towards the fox. Once the two drew close, she stopped him and they began a small conversation. The ocelot hissed in frustration, lowering her weapon.

"Es. What if we frame him?" the wolf asked. Her dull green eyes widened slightly as she considered how they could do this.

"Shoot the cop, hope it seems like a random stab wound?" Max suggested.

"It's our best bet," the wolf said. "The boss gets his way, the ZPD loses someone, and the fox gets tossed in jail. Three things at once."

Es nodded. "This better work. If it doesn't, I'm blaming you two." She brought the weapon up again, leaning down to peer through the scope. Both of them were walking down the street now, backs to them. She steadied herself, centering the sight on the rabbit officer's back, before slowly pulling on the trigger.

~ óÓÒò ~

"Dust, are you sure it's a good idea to be going through this area?"

"Relax, Frost. It's fine. I'll be fine."

"Relax? There's construction _everywhere_ and Phraxus has been hunting you down. I can't cover your tracks as you move around the city. Hell, you're surrounded by vantage points for a sniper or something."

" _Relax._ King is on standby. You're connected to most of the cameras, yeah?"

"Always. But- Oh. Hey, we've got a cruiser in the area."

"What's it marked as?"

"Uh... 217. Hopps and Wilde."

"Great... They're trying to track down the vigilante."

"Yeah, you."

"Quiet. You know better."

"Yeah, yeah. Hang on, looks like Hopps is getting out. I think you guys are going to run into one another."

"I'm swapping to music, then. Try to keep an eye out for anything."

"I always do." 

~ óÓÒò ~

Judy rounded the street corner with a small smile at seeing exactly who they were after heading her way. Aiden was walking down the street, dressed similarly to when they had first met, though his hoodie and backpack were now different. Instead of a red pull-over hoodie, he now wore a charcoal hoodie with a design she'd not seen before. The zipper was off-center, instead sitting between his center chest and his right side, a small flap hanging from the inner lining of the coat. A similar flap of fabric hung off the left side of his hood, flopping slightly with each step he took, the gleam of a zipper barely showing beneath it. His backpack was visibly different from his previous one, this one being a black and red one rather than the navy blue.

He looked over to Judy with surprise at seeing her round the corner, pulling his phone out and pressing a few buttons on it as they neared on another. When she paused for him and gave a small wave, he smiled and plucked out on of his earbuds. "Officer Hopps," he said, tone friendly. "It's nice to see you again."

"Hello, Aiden," Judy said, matching his tone while keeping a professional air around her. "Do you have a minute? There's been some robberies in the area and I'd like to know if you know anything about them."

His eyes widened slightly, though it seemed to be more of interest than surprise. "Robberies around here? I won't lie, I don't normally hang around here, but I'd love to try and help." Judy nodded, taking out her pen and notepad. "The first thing I need to ask, where were you two nights ago, around six in the evening?" she started.

"Six? I was headed home from the store. Went to get some drinks for a small get-together."

Judy jot down the information. "Which store was this?"

"The gas station off of Flurry Street." She wrote this down as well.

"The stores robbed around here were pharmaceutical, three hit in the past week. Know anything about them?"

"Three? I only heard rumors of one, and it was just a plain daylight robbery." The reynard's head tilted. Judy shook her head. "Three in the past week, none of them so plain," she replied. The fox scratched his chin a bit.

"Aw, crap. Guess the reporters have been slacking, eh?" he chuckled. "Like I said, I only heard of the one, and if what you just said is true, I was told something different from what happened." Judy nodded yet again, but sighed silently, feeling like she was making no progress with these lies. Instead, she tried a different tactic: she tilted her head a bit. "Is that a new backpack?" she asked.

Aiden looked surprised, looking at the straps around his shoulders. "Oh, yeah. My last one got soda spilled all over it, so I had to grab a new one. Hoodie, too," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "Never get on the train if you have soda in your pack, not a good idea." She nodded, shaking her head a bit.

"No one watches where they put their feet?" she inquired.

The fox nodded. "Get pushed around a bit and accidentally pushed into a wall, then boom, soda everywhere. Freakin' mess, that was," he said, looking down. Then, he shook his head. "Ah, but I digress! The robberies, I'm afraid I don't know all that much aside from what I've already said." He held up his paws with slight disappointment, shaking his head. "I wish I knew more, but, I'm still job hunting," he said. This got Judy to laugh once.

"Struggling to find a job here? But nearly everyone is hiring!" she said. Aiden chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, but nothing's been interesting to me. I might just try to apply for some low-level job at Brightwater Industries, they always need someone good with computers."

Judy nodded in a friendly manner. "I wish you luck with that, then."

Aiden nodded. "Thank you, Officer Hopps. Not many would give me even that," he said. "I do hope I can run into you when you're off duty some day, I'd love to have a talk with you about what it's like on the force."

Judy smiled. "I'm sure we'll meet up again someday." She looked up at the sky, sighing softly at the dark clouds covering the warm sun. "I think I'd best let you get home, then. It looks like it wants to rain." Aiden looked up and nodded with a sigh of his own.

"Sure seems that way," he said, slowly beginning to walk back down the street. Judy waited for him to pass before turning herself, eventually matching his pace. She looked over at him, noting how he kept his distance, and his free paw on the respective backpack strap. His indigo eyes seemed glazed over for a moment.

"You alright?" Judy asked, pocketing her pen and notepad.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, sorry. Just thinking," he said, the bright light returning to him as he looked down at her. "What was robbed from the pharmacy, if not just money?" he asked.

"I'm afraid I can't quite tell you that yet," Judy lied. In truth, she had lied about the robberies – no store within a three mile radius of the area had been robbed in months. She paused as Aiden frowned, turning to look behind the two, a concerned expression forming along his muzzle. He was scanning the area behind them, and the intensity and sudden change of energy around him gave Judy pause. She took a step back. "Aiden?" she asked, only to be met with his silence, and distant winds of the coming storm. A few small raindrops began to fall. One landed on Judy's ear, making her recoil from the sudden cold. Another landed on Aiden's nose, but he hardly flinched.

"Aiden, what-" She started, cut off as he turned to her, wide eyed as he moved behind her, one arm hooking around her. Judy heard the fox give a pained grunt as her feet left the ground, feeling herself be spun around before they hit the sidewalk. Aiden had one arm along her chest, pressing her against the wall as he did the same to himself, ears flattened against his head as he tore out the other earbud. Rain was coming down now, in good amounts.

"Son of a mother fu-" he muttered, silencing himself as Judy pushed against his arm.

"Aiden, what the hell?!" She yelled. He brought a finger up to his lips, giving her a stern look.

"Hopps, I can explain," he said, his voice sounding a bit hoarse now. "But I need you to trust me right now, okay?"

"Trust you? Why?" she hissed.

"Because if you don't, there's a high chance we're both going to get our brains splattered all over the pavement," he said. Judy glared at him, but kept her mouth shut. She was weighing her options here, to trust the fox about their lives being in danger, or to ignore him and continue back to the cruiser. _Maybe Aiden is crazy?_ She thought. He had removed his arm, and was currently taking off his backpack, setting it on the ground between them. There were two holes in it, one on the back and another on the side.

The fox beside her ran his paw over his side, wincing and drawing in a sharp breath. Judy leaned to his side and saw the fabric of his hoodie and shirt were torn, a small bit of blood showing on them, with a trickle of it visible beyond the cuts. The rabbit gasped, covering her mouth with a paw.

"It's not bad. Just grazed me," Aiden said, poking his head out from behind their cover – a small set of stairs leading to the front doors of the building beside them. Near where they had been walking a moment ago was a part of the ground that had been dug up and tossed cement aside.

Aiden unzipped his backpack and began digging around inside. "They didn't hit anything in here. Do you have a cruiser nearby?" he asked, his free paw removing his hood. Judy nodded. "Is it bulletproof?" he asked, receiving another nod. "Please tell me Nick is in it," he said.

"Of course, he's on standby," Judy said. Aiden nodded.

"He knows the street we're on, right?"

"Of course!" Judy said.

"Have him come and get you," he said. "I can create a diversion for you guys to get away." He drew his paw from the pack, zipping it up and setting the item down. It was a green cylinder, not much bigger than a soda can, but with a pin at the top. Judy recognized it from her time in the academy, a type of non-lethal grenade. The words "M18 Smoke" gleamed in faded white paint on the side.

"Where the hell did you get this?" Judy asked, examining the grenade as Aiden slid his pack back on. "These are-"

"In a legal gray area, like most things I own."

Judy set it down, leaning against the brickwork as her paw traveled to her carrot pen. "Like what?"

Aiden looked down at her with a hardened gaze. She could almost see the mask and hood over him. "I'll explain everything after this, Hopps. But right now, what I own isn't important."

"It's pretty important," Judy argued.

"Dammit, Hopps!" Aiden hissed. "Just call Nick so you can get out of here!"

Judy shook her head. "You're coming with us," she said.

Aiden stared at her in disbelief. "You cannot be serious right now," he said. Judy gave him an unflinching stare that screamed her fixed position on the matter. He groaned. "Fine. But one condition: You _cannot_ arrest me today. I told you, I'll turn myself in after everything has come to a close."

Judy nodded, straining to keep her smirk off her face as she drew her paw away from the pen. She grabbed her phone instead, opting to call her partner rather than use the radio. She counted the rings until he picked up, not even giving him time to greet her before she spoke.

"Nick, where are you?"

A brief pause met her. "Around the corner, where you said to be, why?"

"I need you to pull around when I tell you to. Someone fired at us and we need to get out of here."

"Fired at you? Like what, with a tranquilizer?"

"No, Nick. A bullet."

Silence met her, and she could tell Nick was changing positions and starting the car. "Tell me when," he said.

Judy looked at Aiden, who was glancing behind them. She cleared her throat, drawing his attention back to her. "When do I have him pull around?" she asked.

"Soon as I throw the grenade," he said, picking up the object.

"Right about... Now," she said, watching the fox beside her pull the pin and toss the green canister into the street. Two seconds later, their cruiser turned the corner, speeding to them and coming to a sceeching halt as it spun around. Nick reached over and threw the passenger side door open from inside, Judy and Aiden getting up and racing for the door. Judy leaped inside first, turning to help Aiden clamber in, all three of them wincing as the sound of metal hitting metal came from just outside. "Drive!" Judy yelled, almost being thrown back in the seat as Nick stepped on the gas, the vehicle jolting forward with enough force to make the door slam shut. She and Aiden examined it briefly, finding a good sized dent in the door, the two having narrowly avoided a second shot.

"What the hell happened?" Nick said, eyes wide as he steered the cruiser along. Aiden clutched his side and took a deep breath.

"Officer Hopps?" he said, warranting a look imbued with frustration and curiosity. "Thank you," he stated, not turning to meet eyes with her.

Judy opened her mouth to respond with some scathing comment, but shut her mouth as Nick grunted, jerking the car to the side a bit to avoid a car door opening ahead of them. The remainder of the drive was in silence, until Nick pulled the cruiser into an alley and parked the vehicle, killing the engine. Aiden didn't move, clearly anticipating a thorough questioning from the officers, however unconventional it seemed.

The three sat in silence for nearly a minute, before Nick opened his mouth to speak. The generic ringing of a phone interrupted him, and Aiden slowly pulled out a small phone from his pocket. Judy looked at the screen, reading the caller ID. The name "Frost" was visible, with the image of a snowflake set as the image.

"Put it on speaker." Judy demanded. Aiden pursed his lips, but gave a shallow nod, accepting the call and immediately pressing the speaker button. More silence, until he spoke, his voice hoarse, matching the vigilante's. Judy looked at Nick, both nodding as they waited.

"Yes?"

"You are absolutely insane, you know that? Where the hell are you?" A stern male voice broke through the speaker, laced with concern. Aiden kept quiet, taking a breath as he looked up a bit.

"With Officers Hopps and Wilde."

"... Where?"

"In their cruiser."

Silence, followed by a heavy sigh. "You're a goddamn fool at times, you know that?.. Explain this to me later. I need to get back to work." And with that, the call was ended. Nick raised an eyebrow, he and Judy looking at the other fox for an explanation.

"So, Aiden Wick. What's going on?" Judy said, paws on her hips.

"Let's start simple. In private, don't call me that – it was my father's name. Just call me Dust."

~ óÓÒò ~

"What do you mean you missed?!" the brown wolf shouted at the ocelot, Max taking a frightened step back.

"I mean I missed the shot, dammit!" Es hissed back, ears flattened against her head as her eyes went ablaze with anger. "The mierda tried blocking the shot. Pretty sure it hit him, but now they're cowering behind some stairs. Give me another bullet."

The wolf growled as he reached into one of his coat pockets, producing a second rifle round, slowly passing it off to the sniper. "If you miss again..."

"Cálmese," she hissed, swiping the bullet and loading it into the gun. "I won't miss. They have nowhere to run. We can kill them both." She centered the sight on the stairs where the fox and officer had hidden, waiting patiently. Every member in the room held their breath as they waited. The seconds ticked away, and Es could feel her finger twitching against the trigger. A few raindrops pelted the window before her, making her flinch at the sudden sound.

A small green canister was thrown into the street, and the ocelot fought the instinct to shoot it. Instead, she waited, letting out a small curse as black smoke began filling into the street. She watched a police cruiser tear around the street corner and spin around, the passenger side door opening up. Her vision obscured, she waited until she saw a flicker of gray through the smoke, pulling the trigger with hopes of hitting either target. The cruiser tore away almost immediately after, turning the corner and disappearing from view. She lowered the gun and sat back in her chair.

"Did ya get one of 'em?" Max asked after a moment, clearly hesitant.

"We'll have to wait to find out," she said. "The bastard threw a smoke grenade and a cruiser picked them up. Perra suerte..."

The wolf growled behind her, drawing her attention to him. He was turning away, walking to the door. "I will call the boss. Tell him of our... Unfortunate events. Clean up."

Max sighed and muttered something inaudible as the wolf left, Es getting up and beginning to disassemble the rifle. "I hate that wolf," she said, Max giving a grunt to signal his sympathies as he began to roll up the tarp.

"You an' me both, Es."


	10. Consequences

**I'm sorry this chapter is up a week late. I started it on time, but life has a funny way of putting obstacles in our paths. I'm currently working on the next chapter, and next weeks, and should get them up on time with any amount of luck. I also have an announcement: I'm going to set up a poll on my main page sometime this week on what you guys would like to see for the development of this story. I can split it into either two or three parts, and have it be lighter or on this current path. But, with those things out of the way, you all came here for a story! Enjoy chapter 10 of A New Face In Town!**

óÓÒò ~

"You two did _what?_ " Dust hissed, ears pressing against his head as he looked at Judy and Nick, the silverware on their table clattering slightly as he set his glass down a bit harder than he should have.

The three had moved further away from the construction work, into a diner closer to the ZPD. A fancier place, given it was the city center, that most officers frequented later in their shifts or off work. The fox and rabbit officers were no exception, though they caught some awkward glances at the silent fox who was kept between them. His hood was, of course, pulled up and over his head, backpack left in the cruiser should he decide to run – as much as he insisted he wouldn't. His appearance had earned him a few disapproving looks, until he removed the hood. Once they had been seated and given their menus, a set of rules had been created for by group: They had to talk about what happened at the apartments, why it could've happened, and information on Phraxus that Dust was willing to divulge at the moment. A few matters he wouldn't budge on – who Frost was, how he was almost always off the radar, his equipment. He almost didn't budge on some smaller details the officers wanted to go over, but gave in once he was offered a chance to ask his own questions. One important detail was that they had to be very quiet in their conversation, though thankfully their booth was relatively isolated, and the ambient music did a fair job of keeping any sounds from travelling too far.

Dust had decided to start them off – something simple. If they had seen anyone in the apartments that might have been the sniper. After a few awkward glances, Nick mentioned the ocelot they had seen walking down the street. After a thorough description, Dust had sat back with a blank expression, before finally asking what they had done about her.

Apparently, "Nothing" was the wrong answer for him.

"Nothing," Nick repeated. "We were more focused on finding you than anything."

"Are you telling me that the prestigious Officers Hopps and Wilde both _ignored_ part of their basic training to investigate suspicious activity because I was a street over?" he hissed. "You two are rumored to be the best of the ZPD and you let go of something so basic?"

"Look, yes, we should've at least stopped her. Hindsight is always 20/20," Nick said, arms crossing his chest. "But at the same time, why are you so concerned about her? Do you know her?"

The officers glanced to one another with a satisfied look as Dust leaned back in his seat, his expression changing to an apathetic gaze. After a long silence, he spoke. "Not personally, no, but..."

He looked out the window to the steady drizzle of rain outside, biting his tongue lightly. Judy and Nick patiently waited, only taking their eyes off of him at their waitress, a thin doe, came over with their food. "Do you three need anything else?" she had asked in a cheery tone. "I think we're alright for now, thank you," Judy said in an equally warm tone, the waitress nodding and walking back to the kitchen.

"Her name is Esmerelda Rubí Ocelo. She once worked for the Precinct Three SWAT as a sniper, but was discharged early in her career for... Anger issues," Dust said, turning to face the fox and rabbit. They gave one another a small, curious glance.

"Precinct Three, Rainforest District. How do you know about the names?" Judy asked, making Dust tilt his head.

"My father was a police officer in Precinct Five, the Outback Region. He told me some... Small details when I asked about them. Don't worry, he didn't give away anything important."

Nick looked down at his plate – everyone had ordered some kind of salad. Judy had ordered one called "Burrow Delite" - a combination of vegetables ranging from tomato to green pepper to carrots on a salad with a sweet cranberry dressing. Nick had ordered a simple "Buggie Salad", something similar to Judy's but with fewer vegetables, topped with fried crickets, and given a vinaigrette dressing. Dust had ordered the same thing as Nick, the only difference being that his had croutons on top. He took a bite, waiting for someone to fire off another question.

"Hey wait, I thought you were the first ZPD fox, Nick?" Judy asked, looking up at him. The reynard paused mid-bite, tilting his head in realization. It was Dust who spoke up on the topic.

"The Outback Region is only _technically_ part of Zootopia. The police force there is called the ZPD, but it's very... Separate from the mainland department. Low funding, they operate on their own, and don't like anyone from here, if what my father told me still rings true."

Judy took a bite and nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer. "So, by tecnhicality, I'm still the first fox officer," Nick said. Dust nodded.

"Let's go back to this Esmerelda. What can you tell us about her?" Judy said.

Dust was quiet again for a moment, taking a bite of his salad. "Well, after her discharge, she got involved with the underground. Assassins aren't the easiest thing to come by, and she was trained to hit targets from a distance, so she just... Fell into that line of work. Only now, instead of rubber bullets, she gets real ones, and instead saving the city she's hunting in it."

Nick frowned, crunching on a cricket before speaking. "Sounds like a familiar story. But then why did she try to take you out?"

"Oh, I don't know, why would a hired gun try to kill someone?" Dust replied dryly. "Ask not why, but who. And we already know who that is."

"Phra-" Judy started, stopped when Dust leaned over the table and pressed his paw to her mouth, wide-eyed and alert.

"Do not say their name out loud," he hissed. "Not in public. Anyone could be a member."

Judy gave Dust a piercing look, but nodded as he removed his paw and returned to his side of the table. "Sorry," she said, only receiving a shallow nod from the fox across from them. Nick was silent, taking another bite of his salad as he watched Dust.

"But, yes," he continued. "And as you know, I'm combating them. Somewhat. Now that those flowers are being taken off the shelves, there's less to do." Dust took a bite of his own meal, signaling that they could ask another question.

"Anything else you can tell us about her?" Nick asked. Dust replied with a shrug. "Nothing more than rumors," he said. "I have heard, however, that she's dating the current CEO of Brightwater Industries."

"Part of why you wanted to work there?" Judy asked.

"Actually, that's mostly just a cover. We've already got someone in there."

"We as in your team, right?" Nick interrupted. Dust nodded. "A small team. But yes."

Judy looked down at her half-eaten salad in thought. "So what are your plans since the flowers are being taken out of the picture?" She asked.

Dust shrugged. "To be honest, we hadn't gotten that far. We only just started recently. But I'd imagine we need to continue trying to stay low and keep tabs on this group. If we can find the main leaders and get enough dirt on them, we can hand in all the evidence to the police, let things go from there."

"And what about you and your team when that happens? You know we can't just let you guys walk off," Nick said. Dust gave a nod, his expression turning grim as he looked back out the window.

"So far, you only have evidence of me doing anything 'illegal,'" he said. "And if I keep it that way, you have nothing on the rest. I can rot, they shouldn't have to."

Judy and Nick silently frowned, the fox letting an ear flick. Judy noticed it and gave him a small, concerned bump with her shoulder. He looked down at her with a set of curious green eyes, lips drawn in a small smile as he conveyed a mask that said "I'm fine" to any mammal.

Well, almost any mammal. Judy knew better, and she studied him closely. Nick was not flawless with his masks, and Judy had been around him enough to know his tells. His eyes glazing over to hide emotion, or the base of his ears straining to lean backwards, but the fox forcing them to remain upright. Those same tells were what Judy had just found upon her partner's expression.

Judy frowned, and Nick noted this. He gave a soft sigh and turned away, shaking his head. "We'll talk later, Carrots," he muttered, before turning his attention to Dust, who was silently eating his meal. It unclear if he had noticed the interaction or not.

"Why did it take so long to get the Night Howlers off the shelves?" he asked suddenly, making both hers and Nick's ears perk up a bit.

"After the Night Howler crisis, very few stores were able to get them. All the rest were just holding onto what they had before everything went down," Nick explained. "Since we had an antidote, there didn't seem to be a reason to just take them off the shelves. But since those were the only things being stolen from the shops, they're being put on a sort of recall until further notice." Dust nodded and took a drink from his glass, setting it down with more care this time.

"At least something is being done to get them out of their paws. Thank you," he said. "But I need to know something. I don't know if you can tell me or not, but I should at least ask." Nick nodded and Judy silently sat beside him, head tilted slightly.

"Shoot," her partner said.

"What is the likelihood that the ZPD can get involved? Undercover officers, something, anything?"

Judy bit her lip as she thought the question over. It wasn't so much that they couldn't answer – though she wasn't sure they could tell him either way – so much as they didn't know if they would have enough information to warrant such an investigation.

"That... I don't know," she finally said, looking at Nick, who shrugged. "I don't think there's enough concrete evidence to warrant that. If there was something more solid, I'm sure it'd be an option."

Dust looked down at his nearly empty plate with a frown. "I was worried about that," he said. "I don't have solid evidence on them, either. Just what I've seen. But I know where to get it."

"Oh, do tell," Nick said, pushing his plate to the center of the table and resting his arms on it as he leaned forward. Judy laced her fingers together and looked at Dust expectantly, making him rub the back of his neck.

"I told you Esmerelda was supposedly dating the CEO of Brightwater Industries," he said. "Sometimes she comes up to his office. If we can get footage of them and what they're doing up there, it could either connect him to the group, or show that he's in the dark. If he's in the dark, we can get him to get her to spill the secrets, record it."

"And if he's a member?" Nick asked.

Dust sighed. "Then the odds are stacked against us even more. That would mean that the leader of the main security organization in Zootopia, who has some influence in everything ranging from city hall to this diner, is against us. We'd have to cover our tracks more, if we even could."

Judy took in a sharp breath, frowning heavily. Brightwater Industries was a recent company that had made significant advancements within the technological world. From smartphones to security cameras to street lights, the company had been somewhere at the head of many recent technological advancements. An electric or hydroelectric car? The name was plastered somewhere on the engine. A new phone in your pocket? You can bet the name was somewhere on the inside.

The company had taken a hit when the founders had passed away, leaving their son as the CEO, but his leadership was shortlived, and he had been found dead in his apartment months later – a combination of medicine and alcohol was to blame. Since then, a new founder had risen up to take his place, and arctic fox named Viggo Capeli. A suave businessmammal of extravagant taste, but a down-to-earth and realistic mind, and of reputable heritage, even for a fox – in the public's eyes. To have this company up against the ZPD or even worse, Dust and his team, would spell disaster, simply due to their reach and resources.

"Then let's hope he's just in the dark on everything," Judy said hopefully.

"Please. Murphy is my shadow," Dust said skeptically, after a dry laugh.

"Clearly not, if you're still kicking," Nick said. Dust gave another laugh and shook his head, picking up his glass and looking out the window, his gaze now somber as he fell silent.

"Yeah, well," he said before taking a drink. "Sometimes things happen we can't anticipate."

A heavy silence sat between the group as Nick and Judy tried to interpret Dust's words. Upon finding the right ones, Judy opened her mouth to talk, before Dust looked her way and cut her off. "Come on, you guys should get back on patrol. I'm getting the bill." With that, he stood up and began walking to the counter, reaching into a pocket to pull out his wallet.

Judy looked at Nick, who was staring after the fox with a concerned look. "He's hiding something," the fox said. Judy nodded, looking down at her empty plate. "But what?" she asked, before shaking her head. "One thing at a time, we can ask him later. We need to get his number before he goes," she said, Nick nodding.

"Maybe where he's staying, too. It could be useful, in case something happens." Nick's voice grew softer as Dust turned around and started walking back to the two, holding up a receipt.

"We're good to go," he said, pocketing it and leaving three dollar bills on the table. Judy and Nick slid from their side of the booth, the rabbit brushing off her uniform as Nick stuffed his paws into his pockets.

"Before we go, we have a request to make," Judy said. Dust raised an eyebrow, but didn't change his generally aloof expression. "We need a way to stay in touch," she continued, holding up her pen and notepad. Dust stared at her for a minute, before sighing and muttering "In the car." She gave a satisfied nod and began walking to the exit, looking at the other patrons as she went. They passed by some familiar faces, and a few newcomers she hadn't seen before. A hare and rabbit were sat by the entrance that she didn't recognize, as well as a lion and a cheetah in one far corner. Dust seemed on edge as he followed the officers out, drawing up his hood the moment they stepped outside. The rain had dissipated to a light sprinkle, rays of sunlight breaking through the off-white clouds.

"Alright," Judy said once they reached the cruiser. "Number, before you get your pack."

Dust groaned, and slowly began to recite it under his breath as Judy scrawled it onto the paper.

óÓÒò ~

The air smelled heavily of cherry cigar smoke, thin trails of the source wafting through the air of the dimly lit room. To her left, stood the tall, brown wolf. He stood at attention, entirely still, eyes facing forward. On her right, stood Max, the cheetah standing up straight but with his tail flicking nervously as he kept himself from twitching. Esmerelda kept her eyes straight forward, straining to keep her tail from mirroring Max's.

"You mean to tell me you missed the shot," a quiet, yet gruff voice from them sounded. The ocelot took a nervous breath, before nodding and letting out a shaky "Yes, sir." More smoke was blown their way, making Max cough. "And how did this happen?" The voice sounded again.

"The fox..." The ocelot started, before taking a breath. "The fox moved from the shot at the last instant. It hit his side, but it wasn't a direct hit."

"Mhm. And you took the best possible shot?" the voice asked.

"We had one lined up until a police officer walked on the street," Esmerelda said. When met with silence, she continued. "We had the idea to hit both the officer and the fox, finding it advantageous to the operation. Somehow, he knew to turn and move him and the officer from the shot."

"You only shot once?"

"Twice, sir. The second was a shot through smoke, but I know it hit something."

More silence, followed by the faint sound of the cigar being dug into an ash tray, the ocelot's faded green eyes following the white paw as it reached from the darkness. Her chest felt heavy, and her paws twitched. Normally, in her times of stress, she would have the option to strip and clean her rifle. But here, in front of their boss, she had nothing to ease her mind. Any number of things could happen due to this failure – a broken leg, maybe. Or a simple bullet to the head. Real or rubber, either one.

"You had one job today," the voice sounded, a second paw joining the first as the fingers connected and the paws rested on the desk. "Kill the fox. And you failed. While I applaud your forward thinking, this was a simple task. Three of you failed me today. Give me one reason as to why I should let you three walk from this room."

A cold silence filled the room. Max looked about ready to bolt, and the wolf to Esmerelda's left was looking a bit nervous now. After a full minute of waiting, there was a sharp intake of breath. "It's a very good thing for you three I already had a different set of missions for you three, ones I can only give you three because no one else is even remotely competent enough. All the necessary information and paperwork has been provided to you in these folders. Max, you are to infiltrate the ZPD in Savannah Central. The florist shops there have the most supplies of Night Howlers, and we need them."

A manilla folder was pushed across the desk, coming to a stop before the cheetah. A second was pushed to the wolf on her left.

"Lesnitsky. You infiltrate Downtown SWAT. The fox lives somewhere in that area and if we can, we need a reason to target him once we find where he lives."

Finally, a third folder was pushed towards Esmerelda. "Lastly, Es. Yours is the most simple of all. Oversee the retrieval of the science equipment and prototype serum we need. It's being stored in Tundratown, and moved to a more secure building under our control. This is the most imperative mission."

The three nodded and slowly reached for their respective folders, silently going over the contents. For Esmerelda, hers gave details on who was going to move what, where, when, layouts of the areas they would be in, and other information.

"This is your only other chance to prove yourselves. If you cannot succeed in these missions, do not return. You will have no place in the new world we are creating. Dismissed."

In silence, the three bowed, turned, and walked straight out the door, into the darkened concrete hallway beyond. Esmerelda sighed in relief, but then let her gaze sharpen in determination. She refused to fail another mission.

~ óÓÒò ~

"Let me get this straight," Chief Bogo said, his eyes cold enough to freeze the Sahara Square heaters. "That you had the fox in your cruiser, and you _let him go?"_

It was all Judy and Nick could do to avoid running and hiding beneath the massive chair. A creak from the heavy wooden desk beneath them voiced exactly how angry the cape buffalo was. "W-Well," Nick started, leaning back with wide eyes as a glare from the Chief silenced him.

"You two had an assailant in your vehicle, able to be cuffed and brought in for questioning, able to put this case to rest, and you _let him go?_ How do you explain that?" He said, his voice rising into nearly a roar.

Nick and Judy sat in silence, the smaller officer barely able to prevent herself from hiding behind the larger one, the instinct screaming at her. "Sir," Nick started again, taking a moment to gain control of his voice. "We had no evidence at that time to warrant us bringing him in for interrogation. He was taking a walk through the apartment area to get home and, upon a search he permitted, we found nothing that would link him to the vigilante. The assassin that fired seemed to be aimed at Officer Hopps and, were it not for him, she likely would have been hit. We could be down an officer and have no leads on the assailant. So yes, sir, we let him go. In light of what had happened, it seemed to be the only acceptable course of action."

The Chief stared down at the fox and rabbit in dead silence, before sitting back in his chair. A moment passed before he began sifting through a small stack of folders on his desk. "According to our tech team, there was a black smoke being used as cover for Officer Hopps and our 'friend' as cover for the cruiser. How would you explain this?"

Nick's ears pressed against his head. Neither of them had expected the cameras by them to still be watched by the team.

"There was a can of black spray paint by the steps," Judy said, shaking the nervous tone from her voice. She knew it was a poor lie, but it was all she could think of. "We broke off the top and used the spray as cover."

Chief Bogo stared down at the two before him, eyes narrowing. "And yet there is a distinct lack of paint on you and your uniform, Hopps."

 _Cheese and crackers._ She thought. Nick came to her rescue, however.

"It was raining, sir. It wouldn't surprise me if any of the droplets of paint got wiped away by it as they got inside." Judy looked up at her partner, noticing his set face, having a determined expression as he stared defiantly back at their boss.

A lengthy silence ensued, broken by the buffalo's grunt of irritation. "You two are dismissed, for today and tomorrow. You will be given a new assignment upon your return, related to the current case. Until then, I don't want to see hide nor tail of you two in here." With a silent nod, the two officers slid from the seat and made for the door, freezing as the chief spoke again.

"One more thing. If either of you lie to me like this again, there will be severe consequences. The only reason you are getting away with this is because of what happened at the apartments. The next time you have that fox, you bring him in, or you're fired. Understood?"

With a gulp, the two nodded.

"Good. Dismissed."


	11. Field Day

"So, Fluff, what's the plan for today?" Nick leaned over the counter in his apartment, setting his coffee mug down as he looked at Judy curiously. She was sitting up on his couch, ears drooping and fur a mess as she blinked the sleep from her eyes.

"I was thinknnh... Uh..." She started, rubbing her eyes before letting out a massive yawn. "I dunno. Chief wants us to not come in, so I didn't make plans." Nick snickered at her current state, never unamused by how different his partner was when just awoken. Her lavender night shirt was wrinkled and sat lopsided on her shoulders. Her black running pants were unevenly high on her legs, one at knee length, the other ending at her thigh.

Nick was in much better shape, his white tank top only being slightly wrinkled, and his bright blue gym shorts tied tightly around his waist. His fur was, of course, a mess in its own right, but a few brushings with his paw and it was, for the most part, smoothed down.

"Come on, Carrots, I didn't think you had _that_ much fun last night."

This immediately snapped her to attention – or, what could pass for attention in her half-conscious state – as she grabbed one of the pillows beside her and threw it his way. The object didn't even make it to the counter before it fell to the ground, stopping at the foot of a stool. Nick smiled smugly and rested his chin in a paw. "I've told you before and I'll tell you again, you throw like a bunny."

The fox didn't have time to duck beneath the second pillow, this one catching his face and sending him flying to the ground with a small thud as Judy's laughter filled the space between them. With a groan, he peeled it from his fur and sat up, shaking his head as Judy rounded the corner, holding the first pillow at the ready. "I'll show you 'like a bunny!'" she declared, before leaping at him with a wide grin and swinging the pillow.

Nick barely had time to duck back to the ground before he swung his own pillow, missing the bunny by inches. She brought hers down on him in response, making him let out a combination of a groan and laugh as he swung blindly in her direction. A small impact and squeak from the rabbit told him he had hit his target.

The fox rolled and scrambled to his feet, looking around for the small bunny with his pillow raised over his head. She was nowhere in front of him, though, and before he could question where she disappeared to, he felt a pillow smack into the back of his head. He stumbled forward a step before blindly swinging behind him, watching as Judy ducked beneath his pillow and brought hers around to his side.

"Not bad for a bunny, huh?" she jabbed light-heartedly as he took a step back. Nick chuckled, holding up a paw.

"Not bad, but I've seen better," Nick replied, swinging his pillow along the ground and sweeping her legs from under her. She hit the ground with a light thud and barely put her pillow up in time to block another swing from the fox, hearing him chuckle as he tried a few more times before she rolled away.

The fox tried another swing at her, the soft fabric barely scraping the top of her head as she pushed forward and swung up at him. Nick's eyes widened a bit, seeing the attack coming but helpess to stop it, as he let go of his pillow and stumbled backwards. A small plan formed in his head as he hit the counter, letting himself collapse to the ground, back positioned to face Judy as he tried to still himself.

Shutting his eyes, Nick could hear Judy fall into silence. "Nick?" she said. _Don't move,_ he told himself. "Nick, get up."

Silence.

"You're a terrible actor, Nick."

 _Bellwether would beg to differ,_ he silently chuckled to himself, praying he didn't move as he did so.

"Nick. Get up, you dumb fox!" Judy said, her foot thumping away on the ground. He could feel the vibrations where he lay.

The two stayed quiet for a minute longer, before Judy broke the silence again. "Nick? C'mon, get up. Please?"

 _Not yet,_ he thought. _Not yet, let her get closer._ But oh, it was painful. He could hear the tone in her voice, and almost see her ears drooping against her head. Eyes wide, nose twitching slightly. But he knew she was faking it. _I can read you like a book. Sly fox, dum- wait what?_

The sound of her running away interrupted his thoughts, as did the sound of his front door shutting. Confused, Nick opened one eye and looked around him. Judy was gone, pillow discarded at his side. With a heavy frown, he slowly picked himself up off the floor. "Judy?" he said, looking around. Why would she just leave him? His apartment was empty, devoid of the gray rabbit's presence. His ears pressed against his head as he walked around the counter, looking around the couch and down the hallway. Nothing.

Then, the sound of a sip from a mug sounded in the kitchen. Turning around, Nick saw Judy sitting on the counter, his coffee mug in her paws as she smirked, taking a drink. A bit dumbfounded, the fox walked around the couch to face her, placing his paws on his hips as he stared at her. "How did you-"

"You don't look behind you," she said. "You know, for being a 'sly fox', you get outsmarted by a bunny pretty easily."

Nick stared at her for another moment, before shaking his head and holding out a paw, trying to take his mug from the rabbit. "Alright, you got me," he said, looking out the window as his paw hit the counter top. Ears perking, he looked back at his friend as she dropped down onto his paw, cross-legged, trapping his arm beneath her. Nick tried to lightly tug his arm free, but Judy shook her head, taking another drink.

"Uh-uh, not until you apologize," she said.

Nick looked taken aback. "Apologize? For what?"

"Trying to make me think I hurt you," she replied. Nick sighed, shaking his head.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry for trying to trick you, Jude."

She nodded smugly at this, before taking another drink. Nick was lucky it was a weak brew he'd made, or else she'd be bouncing off the walls – literally. He tried again to tug his paw free from under her, frowning as she didn't budge.

"Uh, Carrots?"

"Mhm?"

"Can you uh... Get off my paw?" he asked. The rabbit shook her head. Nick stared at her in silence, waiting for a reason why. When she remained quiet and kept drinking his coffee, he did so himself. "So, why not?"

"Fox paws are surprisingly comfortable seats," she explained. The reynard groaned internally.

"Rabbit, I did what you asked, you can't keep me here forever!" he complained.

"It's not forever. Just until I get through this _wonderful_ drink, so kindly made for me by a good friend." She let out a small giggle at his expression turning to one of irritation, ears pinned against his head and eyebrows raised curiously.

"Speaking of which," he said, reaching up to take the mug with his other paw. "This is fox coffee, not meant for cute wittle bunnies like you."

Judy held the drink away from him. "Oh, really? In that case..." She brought the drink up to her lips, this time drinking the entirety of what remained in the cup in one go. Nick stood, slack-jawed, as she let out a small burp and set the cup down, running her tongue along her lips with an exaggerated sigh of satisfaction. It took a minute for Nick's silent chuckle to evolve into audible laughter as she set the now-empty mug down onto the counter.

"You didn't just... Wow. Okay, Fluff, you win again. Didn't think you had the gall. But then, you've always broken the mold, haven't you?"

Judy smiled and nodded, arms crossing on her chest now. Before she could speak, Nick started up again. "But, now I need to ask... Can I get my other paw, please?" Judy tilted her head in false thought, before shaking it. "Too comfy," she argued. Nick let out a chuckle.

"Okay then, guess I need to let you in on a little fox secret. You see, we foxes aren't just known for their rougishly good looks." Judy giggled at this and rolled her eyes a bit. "We're also known for our dexterity. And you just so happen to be right on top of my main paw, which means..."

Judy was off of the counter faster than the fox through possible, ears perked and eyes wide. He could see the red appearing beneath her fur as she stared at him. "Nick!" she yelled, looking around for something to throw at him, this time settling on the blanket. The fox ducked down just in time to avoid being hit, but the mug wasn't so lucky. It fell to the ground with the blanket, the sound of it shattering cutting through the air. The two were silent for brief moment, before Nick groaned.

"Dang, and that was my favorite mug, too," he said, walking around to examine the damage. The mug was in, as expected, several pieces, the blanket managing to cushion the fall somewhat. With a small sigh, the fox began picking up the various pieces and tossing them in the trash, carefully combing through the blanket to make sure no shards were embedded in the cloth before throwing it back to the couch. The small patter of feet behind him told him that Judy had rounded the counter now, and he turned around to face her.

"I'm sorry, Nick, I didn't think you'd dodge that," she said, reaching for a pillow. Nick grabbed the other one and shrugged. "It's okay, Fluff. It was an accident." Bracing himself for a thrown pillow, he began walking back to his living room, only letting his guard down once he flopped onto the couch. He set the pillow behind his head as he lay there, the blanket uncomfortably bundled up beneath him. He felt a light weight on his stomach and looked at the source, Judy setting the second pillow on him. With a smile, he set it behind his head as well, looking at Judy as she huffed.

"Alright. This place is a mess. Let's clean up and see the sun for a bit today?" she suggested, looking at the discarded bowl of popcorn and pizza boxes, some candy wrappers, a soda can or two, and a few empty bottles of a hard lemonade.

Last night had been a unique night for them. Initially just Judy coming over to talk about what they should do with their sudden day off, it turned into what could be passed off as a party for two. A few comedy movies and a bad romance movie had been watched, each one earning its fair share of laughs (and, for the romance one, a fair amount of popcorn thrown at the screen). Pizza had been ordered and eaten. A game or two had been played. All in all, fun had been had.

Nick chuckled at the memory. "Oh, that romance movie was so bad," he said, covering his eyes with an arm. "'Oh, Amanda, I couldn't leave you, couldn't get you out of my mind!'" he said in exaggerated flair. Judy snickered, turning and falling back to his side.

"'Tom!'" she said in an equally exaggerated fashion. "'I knew you'd return!'"

Nick sat up, chuckling as they fell into the same positions as the characters in the movie last night. His paws on her shoulders, her pressed against him, arms wrapped around herself. "'You should have known I couldn't hurt you,'" he said, trying to contain his inevitable laughter.

"'Oh, but you did,'" she replied, peeling away to turn and face him. "'You left me on one of the most important nights of my life.'" She was straining as much as he was to keep a straight face.

Nick opened his mouth to say the next line, but couldn't keep himself from doubling over in laughter, Judy following seconds later. "That... Oh god that scene was so cheesy!" he said after catching his breath.

"No wonder the critics rated it so low," Judy said. Nick began gathering trash as he nodded.

"I could barely stand it," he said. Judy looked around, beginning to pick up with him before he held up a finger. "Uh-uh, Fluff. You said we need to go outside at some point, right? So go shower while I clean, it's faster that way."

"But this way, you're done sooner," she argued, taking a pile of cans and bottles to the trash can.

"Right. But then we're here longer."

"Nick," Judy said, walking back into the room with her paws on her hips. "I've seen how you clean before leaving. I have a better idea: You go shower."

The fox stared at her for a moment, their gazes meeting. Judy had a set look of determination on her face, matching Nick's relaxed expression. They stayed that way for a moment, before Nick began taking his pile of trash to the trash can. "Only because we just need to vacuum," he said.

Nick walked down the hallway, glancing back once he reached his bedroom, disappearing inside for his clothes. He scowled lightly at the disarray that was his room. Clothes thrown about, his bed basically torn apart, dresser drawers half-open with (potentially) clean clothes hanging from them. Making a mental note to actually clean in here some time (he wouldn't, and he knew it), Nick gathered up his usual outfit of gray khakis and a green Pawaiian shirt with a purple and blue striped tie, with what he assumed was a clean towel – it passed the sniff and stain test, which was good enough for him.

Trudging into the hallway, Nick paused as Judy looked at him. With a small smirk, he waggled his tail and rear as he headed into the bathroom, chiming "Don't get any funny ideas now, okay Carrots?"

He barely shut the door on the pillow in time. With a laugh, he began to strip down and start up the water, stepping inside as the vacuum cleaner started up to life outside.

Today was going to be a good day.

~ óÓÒò ~

"So," Judy started. "Where do we want to go?" She had changed out of her rumpled night clothes, and was now in a pink flannel shirt with tight jeans, freshly showered and prepared for whatever trouble the two could cause today.

Nick looked up from his phone, carefully stepping around a stray piece of trash as he descended the stairs beside her. "The park again?" he suggested. Judy shook her head. "We go there every time we have a day off," she said. "We need somewhere new. Is there a movie you've wanted to see or something?"

"I don't know, Carrots, last night kind of burned me out on movies," Nick replied dryly. "The last one in particular."

Ruefully, the rabbit nodded in agreement. "We watched quite a few... What about just driving around?" she suggested. Nick laughed.

"Gas costs money, you know."

Judy groaned and threw her paws up in the air. "I give up, then. I'm out of ideas."

"Boy, that was fast," Nick commented. "But, I think you've given me an idea. Come on, let's go," he said, walking around the building. Confused, Judy followed after, quiet until she realized they were headed to his car.

"Get in," Nick said, jumping into the driver side and sliding the keys into the ignition. Judy slipped in beside him, putting on her seatbelt.

"Where are we going?" she asked, looking at the fox expectantly. Nick shrugged and flicked out his aviators, slipping them over his snout as he steered his vehicle onto the road.

"You'll have to figure it out yourself," he said, reaching down to turn his radio on. Old rock music faintly filled the air between them as he rolled down a window, resting his left arm on the open space. Judy continued to look at him curiously, mentally rattling off places she thought the fox would take her.

A bar? No, he knew she found them disgusting. A theater? Unlikely, given that they'd already discussed more movies. Maybe a store? It was possible, she mused. Maybe one of the various malls in the city? Or a book store. She would _love_ to visit a book store – reading was always one of her favorite pastimes. Her favorites were crime novels – the way one could describe the seedy underbelly of a seemingly pristine city always ensnared her. Assuming the book was well written, she could end up wishing to meet a few of the characters or visit some locations, discussing experiences and taking in new sights she hadn't thought of yet.

Buildings raced past as she and Nick went down the road, eventually morphing into mainly other cars as they turned onto a freeway. Nick quietly sang alongside some of the songs that played, Judy giggling softly at his off-key tone, and occasionally chiming in with her own. Over time, they began trying to sing more in tune, or off tune, and over one another, slowly resorting to light shoves or pokes. Judy tried tickling Nick at one point, stopping when his fitful writhing nearly drove them into another car. The awkward silence that settled after was broken by Nick tickling Judy, carefully steering them along with his left paw as his right tried to keep up with her as she pressed herself against the car door and bat at him.

"Okay, Nick, Nick, I can't breathe!" She yelled, gasping for air as he pulled away with a warm chuckle.

"See?" he said. "We foxes are _very_ good with our fingers."

"Nick!" she shouted, lightly punching his shoulder. She could feel her cheeks heating up. "You're such a... A..."

"Sly fox?" he suggested. She sighed and nodded, for lack of a better idea. "And _you're_ ," he continued, "An emotional bunny."

"I'm not emotional!" she argued, to which Nick just let out a big laugh.

"Yet you nearly cried when we found that 'lost' cub, even though his parents were just around the corner five feet away. Right, that's not emotional _at all._ "

"He looked so scared though!" She said, looking to Nick. "How could you _not_ feel sorry for him?"

"Simple," Nick replied. "You notice that he rounds the corner running, smiling, laughing even. Realizing he'd left his parents around the corner probably just scared him, and there you go."

Judy stared at the fox, the smug smile he wore bearing down on her despite his staring straight ahead. The aviator glasses he'd put on gleamed brightly in the sunlight. She realized after a moment that her mouth was open, the result of her attempting a retort, and she quickly shut it. She was unable to think of an argument to what he had said, sitting quietly in her seat.

"Hey, Carrots?" Nick said suddenly. Ears perked, she looked curiously in his direction. "Ever been to an arcade?"

"We didn't really have them in Bunnyburrow, so no. Why do you ask?"

This was a half-truth. In her home town, there was a bowling alley that had several arcade cabinets, but nothing that would truly pass for an arcade. She would occasionally drop a few dollars here or there on a game that seemed interesting, only to leave shortly after with the sneaking suspicion that the games were rigged against the player.

"Well," Nick said. "I think you've earned a trip."

Judy turned her gaze out the front window as the car turned into a parking lot, a bright yellow building with orange text ahead of them. "Chuck'ys Arcade" was plastered on the front, the cartoonish image of a mouse eating a cheesy pizza grinning down at them.

"Chucky's Arcade?" Judy said with a small laugh. "I've heard of this place. Greasy pizza, noisy kids. You wanted to come here?"

Nick shrugged, killing the engine as he opened up the door. "Yeah, why not? Besides, I know the owner. We can play most of the games for free."

Judy jumped out next to him, shaking her head despite the wide grin she wore. The car beeped as Nick locked it, stepping beside her as he removed his sunglasses. He tugged the large doors open for Judy to enter, following closely behind and walking next to her. The rabbit looked around in fascination.

The inside of the arcade was a stark contrast to the outside. Black carpeting, but with warm orange walls, and dimly lit, it was a strange combination. All sorts of sounds assaulted her: Loud engines from the line of racing games in a corner; High-pitched blaster fire from various on-rails shooter games; the shouting of a commander for a helicopter simulator; obnoxious sound effects emitted from random other games as they spat out tickets to the player. The smell of cardboard pizza, cheap nachos, and something she could only define as unpleasant wafted above her, making her want to cover her nose.

Casting a glance up at Nick, she was surprised to see him going about unfazed. Aviators off, but his lazy-eyed smirk present, he looked down at her. The fact that his more sensitive nose wasn't driving him insane by the things even she could pick up was surprising.

"Whaddya think, Carrots?" he said as they approached the main counter by the entrance. She looked around, oblivious to his rolling eyes before his attention turned to the employee, talking idly. Judy couldn't hear much of the conversation, though the noises from deeper inside the building was constantly drawing her focus away from them.

After a minute, she felt a paw tap her shoulder, and she turned to see Nick holding out a small green card, one for himself in his other paw as he slid it into his pocket. She took it with a smile.

"Alright, Fluff, so listen up. You've never been to an arcade before, so here's a few pointers: Stay away from the food, and use the bathrooms as a last resort. Drinks are okay, but bars are on the less-than-stellar side." He said, just loud enough to hear over everything, walking for a racing game. "Everything here costs three times what it should, so only buy if you're desperate. Want to play something, swipe the card -" Drawing out his card, Nick swiped it through a small card reader on the side of a racing game. "Like so. We can play whatever, forever, but only for today. There's a few rides, but they're kind of crappy, and we have to pay for those. Oh, and if you see spare tickets, grab them. Get enough, and you can get some nice prizes. Got all that?"

Judy stared, somewhat dumbfounded, at the fox as he sat in his chosen machine. He selected a car, a purple sports car with white stripes down the center, and started up a random race. Judy stood behind his seat and watched him, quiet. He and seven other cars (she assumed they were all bots) were racing at high speeds along late night streets, neon lights illuminating their path where the poorly rendered headlights failed. On occasion, the fox would get hit from the side and ram a building, causing him to grumble as he double tapped the gas. To her surprise, the car reared up on its back tires, up until it hit the back of another racer. After that, it went flying in a huge backflip, almost crashing on the pavement below, before tearing along the ground as if it had lost no momentum.

The race continued for another minute or so before the finish line was crossed, Nick coming in fifth place. "Eh, I'm out of practice," he said, rubbing his neck and swiping his card again. Almost without thinking, Judy sat in the machine next to him and swiped her own card, slipping it into her pocket. She saw Nick look at her out of the corner of her eye, his smirk and slight shake of his head telling her that he through she'd do horribly in whatever race she got.

As the two chose their cars (Nick took the purple one again, while Judy chose a sleek looking red sportster), another mammal sat with them, jumping into the race last minute. With no thought to them, Judy stared at the screen as it began the countdown.

Right out of the gate, Judy knew this was most definitely _not_ her game. The car felt slippery, the roads winding sharply, shortcuts that looked like walls and walls that looked like shortcuts, and more than once she found herself turned around on the track. When it was over, she had barely crossed the finish line, Nick having hit fourth place.

"Nice try, Carrots," Nick chimed. "But it looks like rabbits really _are_ bad drivers."

Frustrated, Judy swiped her card. "Again," she demanded. Nick raised his eyebrows curiously, his smile never wavering. "Best two out of three?" he suggested and, when she nodded, turned in her seat with a satisfied nod of his own. This time, she chose the same car as him – the purple one with white stripes.

This turned out to be a horrible idea, as this car accelerated faster and had worse handling than her previous one. She spun out almost immediately, Causing several cars to drive right into her and get them stuck. The mammal to her left groaned in frustration, and Nick laughed as he sped off. With so little opposition, he was free to cruise down the roads as everyone else straightened themselves out.

He finished first that time. For their final match, Judy chose a different vehicle: an older looking white muscle car. When Nick saw her choice, he took a sharp breath and shook his head.

The white muscle car was more her style, having great handling and acceleration she could handle. The combination of a good car, and having seen the map multiple times, led her to finish alongside the fox for the first time – fifth place, but still better than last.

Nick chuckled as he rose from his seat, turning to watch Judy do the same, an expression of pure irritation on her face. "I'm choosing the next game," she said. Silent, but smirking, Nick followed after her as she walked off, paws balled into fists as she examined their surroundings for something she'd have an advantage in. A dancing game? Maybe. Whack-A-Bug? Possibly. But she needed something she _knew_ she could beat Nick in. And then it caught her eye – an on-the-rails shooter labeled 'Time Switch'.

"That one!" she said, racing over to it and swiping her card. Nick followed suit, eyeing the machine curiously.

"'Time Switch'?" he said. "I haven't seen this one in ages. Surprised it still works. Alright, Carrots, get ready to be beaten by a fox _again_."

Judy smirked. Nick wasn't aware of the bowling alley she grew up going to. Nor was he aware of the games they had in their mini arcade. And, so, he was unaware that she had played this very game before – and gotten the high score, four times in a row. Of everyone in the Burrows, she had remained numbers 1, 2, 4, and 7 on the leaderboard until the machine died of broken wiring and poor care.

That didn't mean Nick didn't put up a fight, though. Oh no, he was an officer, he was trained much like she was in how to aim and shoot. The difference, though, was that he had clearly not grown up playing this game.

It was only a matter of minutes before the gap between their scores grew from the hundreds, to the thousands. By then end of mission one, she was beating him by over 15,000 points. At mission two, it was 20,000. And at mission three, he had closed the gap, narrowing it down to about 10,000 – but the whole time, it had been a losing battle. Finally, when their lives were spent and the game over screen flashed, Judy turned to Nick with her own smug smile. The fox returned it with a defeated expression.

"You've played this before," he accused. Judy nodded.

"Had four of the eight high scores under my name on the old cabinet back in Bunnyburrow," she said, laughing as his mouth fell open.

"Wait, did you just hustle me?" he asked, eyes widening a bit. Judy laughed harder and nodded.

"Boom," was all she said, pointing at him as she walked off. Shaking his head, the fox followed after as she neared a helicopter simulator.

"Alright, officer Toot-Toot, let's make a deal," he said as he caught up to her. "We keep playing away, and whoever wins most, gets to decide how the night ends. Loser does whatever the winner wants. Deal?"

Judy looked up at Nick, eyebrows raised in suspicion. She knew the likelihood of her beating him was slim, but all the same, the 'Time Switch' game gave her hope. After all, if she lost, what was the worst Nick could do? Then again, what was the worst _she_ could do? The opportunity was just too good to pass up.

"Deal," she said, sticking out a paw. Nick smiled and shook it, pointing to the simulator.

"Let's give this one a shot next? See how good a pilot a rabbit can be. Can't be any worse than a driver, right?" he joked, smiling more as she rolled her eyes and swiped her card, lowering the strange helmet over her head. It fit loosely, clearly sized for a larger mammal, but still held on as she climbed into the equally sized seat. A joystick sat between her legs, various buttons and levers on either side of her as she settled in. She squeezed the joystick before her in anticipation, watching the numbers count down to the start of the mission.

 _What could go wrong?_ She thought. _It's just a helicopter. Joystick, a few buttons. Easy, right?_

Her first flight lasted all of ten seconds, before she was belly up in a pile of smoking metal on the ground. The second one went about as well, though she lasted about half a minute before slamming into a tree. On her third flight, she managed to actually get to the mission area, before panicking as a lock-on warning sounded, flying between buildings only to wedge herself in an alley. Just when she had freed herself, however, the missile from earlier caught up and sent the helicopter right through.

With each failure, Nick laughed. The last one almost made him crumple to the floor, tears in his eyes as he picked himself up for his turn.

The seat and helmet were better suited to his size, and he was clearly the better pilot of the two. His first flight ended when he was unable to avoid a missile, the second one meeting a similar fate to Judy's first two when he tried to flip the helicopter over in a flashy maneuver to get over an enemy. On his third run, however, he actually completed the mission, before the second one started up and he dove straight into the ocean, laughing.

Infuriated, Judy looked around for the next game, until realizing that Nick was already heading to it – some rhythm game, the bright lights and fast music blaring. She raced over and examined the machine. Rails for the players to use, and nine small pads to step on for the dance on screen.

"Ever played one of these?" Nick asked, swiping his card. Judy shook her head.

"Never even _seen_ one of these things before," she admitted, swiping her own and stepping into her half.

Nick chuckled, before nodding to the screen. "You pick the song, then."

Judy was rather impressed with the selection available. Bands ranging from Fur Fighters, to Guns and Rodents, even a few by Jimi Heyendrix. But ultimately, she settled on Gazelle's 'Try Everyting,' much to Nick's obvious disappointment.

She hadn't known what to expect from the game, but the descending arrows that began taking up the screen weren't it. As best she could, she tapped her feet in the spaces instructed, but always seemed to be just a second too late. Nick was faring much better, each step earning him a "good", "great", or "perfect" score. By then end, his accuracy doubled hers, at 88%.

"Again?" he asked, looking down at her. Silently nodding in determination, she selected another song by Gazelle – not knowing exactly how slow the beat was. The arrows were moving so slowly, the rabbit figured her grandfather could score a perfect. At the end of it, Nick was leaning against the railing behind him, wiping his forehead. "One more?" he checked, groaning and getting up when she swiped her card again. The song she chose next was another Gazelle hit, but the beat was _much_ faster than she had anticipated. Even the words went by in a blur – all she caught was something about hips and not lying as she frantically flung her feet along the mat.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Nick, a smile plastered on his muzzle as he danced along to the beat perfectly. Each time he needed to hit a certain point, the word "Perfect!" blazed across the screen, his score rising well above her own.

Judy didn't even bother trying in the end, eventually just standing there to watch Nick move perfectly to the song. He'd twirl at what seemed like the right moments, legs crossing and him bouncing up and down, tail a blur at times. He even seemed to be muttering the song under his breath, until it finished. When he caught her staring, his ears flattened against his head and he gave a nervous cough, smoothing down his shirt and tie.

"So uh... What game next?" he said.

"Oh, no, Slick Nick, what was that all about?" Judy said, a mischevious smile forming on her. She suddenly knew what she would have him do if – when – she won. The ZPD could certainly use a show someday...

"That?" he said, chuckling nervously, eyes darting back and forth. "That was just me playing the game. Hit the buttons at the right time. Why are you so surprised?"

"You never told me you could dance!" Judy said excitedly. Nick laughed.

"Dance? No, I don't dance."

"Then what was that?" she asked again, pointing to the machine. "Aw, I should've taken a video!"

"Carrots, come on, you've seen me dance. The Gazelle concert, remember?"

"Right, because _that_ was you trying. Nick, that was great!"

"O-kay, you know what, we're just going to go on to the next game now, okay? Okay. Okay? Okay." Nick said, tugging at his shirt collar as he moved over to a Whack-A-Bug machine, Judy in tow. "How's this one look? Nice and simple," he said, patting the machine. "Look, I'll even go first."

Swiping his card and picking up the mallet, Nick waited for the plastic bugs to pop out of the many holes on the machine, slamming it down on them as quickly as he could. A few times, too many popped up, or he reacted too slowly, and they went back down into the hole. His score was fairly high, but Judy knew she could beat him. The ZPD _needed_ to see what she had just witnessed.

When Nick had finished his attempt, he held up the mallet for Judy, who took it and smiled in that fake "Thank you so much, I really needed that help" smile. A quick swipe of her card and a few minutes later, and she was tied with the fox again, all her scores surpassing his. The result of this victory seemed to be making him slightly antsy at the prospect of losing. One more game, that was all it would take. But which one?

Judy turned her amethyst gaze over the other games she and Nick had yet to visit, not finding any that she had the immediate advantage in. Then her eyes glossed over something simple, a game based more on personal skill than coding. Grinning, the rabbit grabbed Nick's paw and began dragging him over to their destination.

Once she reached the air hockey table, she slid her card through the reader and folded out the small steps on her side. Taking hold of the white mallet, she watched the flat, black puck be deposited into the center of the table. Nick stood at the other end, looking at the table with worry as he grabbed his own mallet.

"What's wrong," Judy started. "Afraid you're going to lose a bet to a 'cute wittle bunny'?"

The expression on Nick's face turned to resolve as he shook his head. "Nah, just hoping I don't get demoted to janitor for mopping the floor with you here." He reached out into the center of the table swatting the puck and sending it along the table, bouncing it off the side and right into Judy's goal. Looking down in shock, then up at Nick, she had a dreadful feeling.

Did she just throw away her chances of beating him?

Given that smirk on his muzzle, yes, yes she did.

The puck was deposited on her side of the board this time, letting her bring the mallet around to smack it into the side. It bounced around erratically for a moment as Nick tried to swat it away, before he drew it back at the wrong moment, the clatter of plastic on plastic sounding as she scored a point. His ears folded against his head.

Or maybe she hadn't.

"First to ten?" Nick suggested. Judy nodded, watching him bump the puck to her side. She waited until it almost met her mallet before pushing it away, watching it careen into the side of his as he blocked his goal. It was swiftly sent back to her end, where it slid smoothly into her goal with a satisfying 'thunk'.

The game went back and forth for the longest time, each player trading winning points, until Nick seemed to get stuck around six, and Judy repeatedly scored over and over.

"Oh, Nick?" she said, watching the puck slide into place on his side. "What's the score now? Nine to six?"

The fox groaned, a paw slapping his head. "I can't believe I'm going to lose to you because of this, Fluff." With that, he pushed forward with his mallet, a paw covering his eyes as he did so. Since he couldn't see, he couldn't tell that he had hit the puck at an odd angle, sending it all around the sides as Judy's mallet raced around after it, before finally hitting it into her own goal with a loud clatter. Nick lifted a finger to see the result, having not moved from the initial push, a wide grin spreading on his face at seeing his score counter go up by one.

This time, the puck started on Judy's side, and she was determined to score one last time. Nick removed his paw from his eyes and watched her carefully, tail swishing in anticipation. He managed to catch the puck just as it neared his goal, sending it flying back to Judy and bouncing it into hers. Eyes widening at the sound, she shook her head and smacked the puck again, this time catching the return hit. Nick was on his game, though, shoving it into a corner and forcing it to bounce off the sides as he sent it back to her. Another missed swipe by her and he was tied.

"No, no, no," Judy muttered. She had to keep calm, she could still win this. They might be tied, but Nick was losing horribly earlier, there's no way he could -

The clatter of plastic just beneath her made her eyes widen. Without thinking, the rabbit had hit the puck and sent it on its way to Nick and, while she wasn't paying attention, he had slid it back her way, right into her goal. Her eyes trailed up to the scoreboard – player 1: 9; player 2: 10. Nick had won.

He was clearly just as surprised as she was, however, staring at the board with an expression of surprise rivaling her own. The look was quickly replaced by a smirk as he leaned on an elbow, staring at her. "Well, would you look at that? Guess I won."

In frustration, Judy flung her mallet across the table, letting it crash into Nick's elbow. He let out a hiss and tugged it away, rubbing the spot lightly as Judy gave a semi-satisfied glare to him, before sighing and muttering an apology even she could barely hear over the arcade's noise. She couldn't believe she had just thrown away her best chances of humiliating Nick in the ZPD, as he had done to her so often.

Between his nicknames, snarky remarks, pranks, jokes, and more, she had _needed_ this victory. But her inability to focus on the puck at the last minute had cost her.

"Didn't think you to be such a sore loser, " Nick commented, walking around the table.

Judy rolled her eyes, still mentally bashing herself for such a simple victory down the drain. "Alright, Slick, what's the rest of the night look like, then?"

The fox paused for a moment, stuffing his paws in his pockets. "I don't know. Maybe we could go to a bar. Or a mall. Picnic? Maybe a fancy restaurant, see you get all dressed up," he said, leaning down to her with the last idea. His usual smirk played on his lips, half-lidded eyes meeting hers as he waited eagerly for her response. An idea churned in her head, her lips turning upwards in a sly smile.

"So, let me get this straight, you want to see me get all fancied up and go to dinner with me?"

"It's a possibilty," Nick said, the smirk never wavering.

"Nicholas Piberius Wilde, are you asking me out on a _date?_ " Judy asked, faking shock with wide eyes, a paw coming up to rest over her heart, her other resting on her hip. Nick's smirk shifted a bit, his eyes widening slightly and ears pressing against his head almost imperceptibly. And then, like that, it was back in place, the fox playing it cool.

"If that's what it takes to see you in a dress, then maybe I am."

The rabbit stared up at the fox for a moment, before breaking from her pose. A faint rewinding sound filled the air, and suddenly, their conversation played back.

 _"So let me get this straight, you want to see me get all fancied up and go to dinner with me?"_

 _"It's a possibilty."_

 _"Nicholas Piberius Wilde, are you asking me on a date?"_

 _"If that's what it takes to see you in a dress, maybe."_

Nick's eyes widened in horror at hearing the recording, Judy holding up her carrot pen and shaking it in his face lightly. "Think I'm going to keep that one," she said with a smirk all her own, turning away as Nick reached up to desperately try and grab the evil device. Trying to contain her laughter as he reached around her in a vain attempt to grab her pen, Judy stepped away, before running and heading deeper into the arcade, leaving the fox with a mortified expression as he began to chase after her.

After a time of each playing their own games, Nick finally found Judy again at a claw game. She was pressing her head to the glass, ears drooping as she stared down at the plush collection that taunted her from the safety of the machine. When Nick came over, he peered over her shoulder and tilted his head, trying to tell which one she was looking at specifically.

There was a wide collection of soft plushes inside. Small wolves, bears, rabbits, a fish or two. There was also foods, such as carrots, cupcakes, cherries, and oranges, all with strangely cute faces on them.

"What'cha looking for, Carrots? Is it the carrots?" He joked. Judy snapped her head up to look at him, expression a combination of frustration and disappointment.

"I just wanted to win something, but this thing ate all my coins!" she said, tapping her foot on the ground.

Nick examined the machine closely, casting his gaze over it all. The machine, unlike most of the arcade games, ran off quarters or tokens, rather than a charge on their cards. "How much did you dump in?" he asked.

"I've tried this game like, twenty times," she said.

Nick hissed as he took in a breath. Each game cost fifty cents, meaning she had dumped in a good ten dollars or so. "I probably should have warned you, but these things are total scams. They give mammals like me a hard time," he said, chuckling. "But hey, mind if I give it a try?"

"Go ahead," Judy said, stepping away. She stared at the machine in frustration as Nick dug a few spare quarters from his pocket and slipped them into the slot. He leaned up and looked down into the mass of plushies below, his paws resting at the top corners, before he leaned down, paws stopping at the bottom corners. With a smug smile, he pressed the start button and maneuvered the crane over his desired spot. Without looking, he pressed the drop button, turning to face Judy and block the claw from her view. She looked at him with raised eyebrows, lost.

Hoping his timing was correct, the fox pushed himself from the cabinet and stepped away, motioning to the machine. "Alright, Fluff, see what you got."

Judy gave him a skeptical look, rolling her eyes at his confidence as she walked over. Reaching into the small slot where a prize would be deposited. Her eyes widened as she felt her paw grab something small and soft, tugging it out and staring at the prize in amazement.

"Should add that to your collection," Nick said, walking off.

"What?" she started, more confused as to how he had won the prize than what he had said. "Nick, how did you get this on the first try?!" She turned to face him, watching his black-tipped tail disappear around an arcade cabinet.

"Nick!" she yelled, running to catch up with him. He paused and leaned against the cabinet beside him, looking down at her with his usual smirk.

"Yes, officer?" he said in a light tone.

"How did you do that?" She asked again. His only response was a sly smile, looking away to the entrance.

"You can stop tapping your foot now, Carrots. Unless you _want_ to start an earthquake," he said, a moment later. Judy looked down, not having noticed her right foot thundering away on the carpeting. "But anyways, we should probably get going before it's too late. After all, we _do_ have a big night ahead of us."

Judy looked up at him, slightly baffled, as she hugged the toy to her chest. It was a small, red fox. The ears and half of the tail, as well as all four paws, were black, in contrast to the muddy red fur and cream belly it had. The green eyes held small sparkles in them, and it stared at her with a warm smile.

She couldn't help but think of Nick when she looked at it.

"What time is it?" he suddenly asked. Judy shook her head, clearing it, before pulling out her phone. "Oh, wow. It's almost four, we've been here almost six hours!" she exclaimed. Part of her was panicking at the lost track of time, but a part of her also didn't care. She didn't have anything important planned for the day, and she'd had fun – that was what mattered, right?

"Alright, then. Let's go and get all cleaned up for tonight," he said, sauntering to the front doors. Judy walked at his side, gently rubbing her thumbs along the inside of the fox's ears. She could feel a small line going through them, and what felt like a button. She pressed it gently, feeling only slightly disappointed when nothing happened.

Nick flicked out his sunglasses and slid his card to the employee behind the counter as they passed, waiting as Judy did the same. "Thanks, Al," the fox said, giving a small salute to the snow leopard behind the counter. "Anytime, Nick," came the response, the leopard's deep voice easily rising over the cacophony of sounds behind them. And with that, they walked outside.

Judy was unprepared for the sudden harshness of the afternoon sun, wincing and covering her eyes with a paw instinctively. Nick briefly glanced away, but his aviators kept his eyes mostly safe from harm. It was hot outside, as was to be expected of Savannah Central.

"So, Nick, what _exactly_ is your plan?" Judy asked, stroking between the stuffed fox's ears as she walked to his car. When she was met with silence, her ears rose up high, and she turned. "Nick?"

The reynard was staring at a charcoal colored car parked a litte ways from his own, one leg raised in mid step as he did so. His ears were stood straight up as he looked at it, Judy coming over to join him. "What is it?" she asked. Nick placed his foot down and stared at her, slightly slack-jawed at her question.

"What is it?" he asked, gesturing to the car. "What is it? Carrots, this is a beautiful car! Look at it!"

And look at it she did. The car was by no means ugly; A two door muscle car with a beautiful charcoal paint job, a wide silver stripe bordered by two smaller ones at the center. The hood had a slight, angled bump in the center. The front bumper had a total of eight lights: two standard ones at the very edges, with two smaller ones a few inches further in. The bottom of the bumper, beneath the grille, were the last two lights, positioned just beside one another. A few inches outside of these were another pair of smaller lights. A small cobra was sat on the left of the grille.

Before Judy could make a comment on the vehicle, a familiar voice sounded behind them.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Nick and Judy turned to see Dust walking towards them, a pair of sports glasses covering his eyes and a soda in his paw, one stuffed into his pocket. Judy nodded, while Nick's response was far more enthusiastic.

"Beautiful is putting it lightly," he said, slowly walking around it. His tail was rapidly swaying from side to side – who knew he was into cars this much? "What year is she?"

"Sixty-Seven," Dust responded. He had a small smile as he watched Nick examine the car. Nick himself held a huge grin.

"Six cylinders?" he asked.

"And dual exhaust. Quiet inside, though. Purrs like you wouldn't believe."

Judy was lost between the two mammals as they talked car talk. On her family farm, she had helped to fix the few vehicles they had a few times, but she hadn't learned many names of the parts. She actually worked on the vehicles very little, instead just giving tools to her father or other siblings who were more interested in them than she was.

"Want to hear?" Dust said, lowering his glasses a bit as he looked at the two. Nick nodded enthusiastically, and Judy stepped aside as the other fox drew out his keys and stepped over to his door, unlocking it and gently tugging it open. He then half sat in the car, half stood, as he pushed the keys into the ignition and started up the car. It roared to life, deep enough to compare it to an overloaded subwoofer, before settling into a low grumble.

Judy swore that, if Nick's grin could grow any wider, his head would crack in half.

After a moment of grumbling, Dust revved the engine once, and then turned off the car.

Nick muttered a small curse, impressed. "How much was she?"

"Actually, a gift from a family friend." Dust leaned against the hood, looking over at Judy briefly. "Anyways, what're you guys doing here? I thought you two worked today."

Something inside Judy twisted. A feeling of unease or distrust she couldn't completely place. But she knew that she didn't exactly like Dust acting as if the three of them were good friends.

"Could ask the same of you," she said. "You don't seem like the kind to hang out at an arcade."

Dust groaned. "I'm not, but I had a friend call in a favor. Said she needed a ride, so here I am."

Judy nodded, eyes half-lidded with suspicion. Nick stepped beside her and planted a paw on her shoulder.

"You two have fun, though? Sometimes they have a neat game I want to try," Dust continued.

"There's just the usual. Driving, simulators, dancing. Same games they've had for the past decade," Nick replied. His tail was calmer now, though it was still swaying as he cast an occasional glance to the car.

"Agh. Not worth it," Dust said.

"I don't know, I had a good time," Nick said. "What about you, Fluff?"

Judy looked up at Nick sharply as he ruffled her ears, fighting the urge to bat his paw away as she nodded. "It was fun, especially being my first time."

"Wait," Dust said, surprise filling his voice. "You've never been to an arcade before today?" Judy nodded in response. "Oof, and Nick took you here? That's..." He chuckled softly. "It's not the worst of arcades, but it's definitely not the best. Nick, ever heard of 'Mr. Kevv's'?"

From the inward hiss Nick gave, it was a yes. "That place is ridiculous expensive if you're there for a few hours, but yeah," he said. Dust nodded, seemingly satisfied.

"Should take her there one day," he suggested. Nick nodded.

"Actually," Dust continued, "Are you two busy right now?"

"We were actually just about to leave," Judy said. Nick nodded again.

"Shame. I had an idea I wanted to pitch, but only if you're both free."

"Why not send it our way? We could always try it another time," Nick said. Judy looked up at him, curious as to what Nick was doing. Weren't they technically supposed to be bringing this fox in, not making friends?

"I was going to suggest a game at Kev's. They've got all sorts of them – racing, go-karts, golf. But I was going to suggest a game or two of paintball." Dust rested his head on his arms as he spoke, his eyes masked behind his slick sunglasses. Judy rolled the idea around in his head, Nick looking down at her for her input.

"You know, we have time," she said. "And I haven't played paintball before."

Nick smiled softly and looked at Dust. "I'm alright to play a few rounds."

Dust nodded this time, seemingly satisfied. "Great. I'll meet you two at Kev's, then?" Both nodded. "Oh, and, I'm paying."

Nick grinned a bit more at this, and Judy smiled a bit wider as they gave the other fox a small wave and began walking back to their own car.

~ óÓÒò ~

 **Oh, boy. Hey, everyone! I'm very sorry that this chapter is out so late, I've been helping family move the past few weeks and have had no time to write anything. I hope I made up for it all with this chapter, though – it was a lot longer than I expected, but it was a lot of fun to write. I also want to clarify exactly what car it is Dust has – a Shelby GT500 Eleanor, 1967. Absolutely beautiful beast of a car.**

 **I'll be starting up the next chapter as soon as I can. It's going to be more action-y than the past ones, and there's going to be actual plot development this time – I promise!**

 **-N'yrthghar**


	12. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Nick held a small smile as he and Judy drove to Mr. Kev's, following just behind Dust's car. "Ever played paintball before?" he asked Judy.

"Not really, no. But I mean, it can't be that different from the practices at the academy and training at the ZPD, right?" She asked, looking up at him expectantly.

Nick chuckled. "That depends on what kind of match you're in. If you're playing in a tounrnament, the weapons and gear you get are very different. But there's this kind called 'MILSIM' that is more favored for mammals like us – officers. It has more, uh... Realistic equipment."

"Wait, 'MILSIM'?" Judy asked.

"Yeah," Nick nodded. "It stands for 'military simulation,' I think. Vets from the old army, SWAT, and ZPD play it all the time. I doubt that Kev's has it, though."

"In the off-chance it _does_ , though," Judy thought aloud. "That could give us an edge, yeah? After all, the scenarios at the academy sounded pretty similar."

"It could," Nick agreed. "We could finally beat him at something. Wouldn't that make somebunny happy?" Nick was, of course, referring to all of Judy's rage at their frequent inabilities to stop Dust before. More than once he'd had to use his snarky comments to divert her attention from the topic, before her foot bore a hole into the floor.

"I would _love_ to beat him for once!" she said. "After all the crap we went through to just find him, if we could beat him today, that would make my day!"

"Ouch, Carrots," Nick said, planting a paw over his chest. "And here I thought I made your day."

Her ears drooped slightly, but she shook her head and lightly slapped his arm. "Nick, stop it, you know what I mean. Besides, you _did_ make my day. This would just be the cherry on top."

That made Nick grin, turning the pair off the freeway. "Then we better beat him, huh?"

Judy nodded, wheels churning in her head as a thought crept into it. What if they made a bet with Dust? A few two-on-one matches, with the bet being that he had to come in to the ZPD tomorrow if they won. It could work, right? They were trained for situations like this. Assuming, of course, Mr. Kev's had a paintball setup that favored them. She liked the odds of this more than she had her bet with Nick earlier in the day.

She looked over at their destination once it came into view. A massive brick building with a yellow stripe going through the middle, a polar bear with a wide grin and crossed arms stood above the words "Mr. Kev's" on the front doors. Go-kart tracks of various sizes for various mammals could be seen on one side of the building. The other side held a small, open space with seemingly random buildings, many different colors of paint visible even from the far side of the parking lot.

Nick parked beside Dust, and both he and Judy hopped out. The other fox was waiting beside his car, one paw in its pocket and the other holding his phone. He looked up as Nick rounded his car, stopping beside Judy.

"We ready?" he asked. Both nodded, Judy bouncing on her feet a bit in anticipation. Dust gave his own nod and began walking to the entrance. "So, either of you played paintball before?" he asked, putting his phone away.

"I have, once. Carrots hasn't," Nick replied. Dust tilted his head a bit, giving a small chuckle.

"Alright. What kind of game do you want to play?"

Nick rolled his head around a bit, thinking about the question. It was Judy who responded, with a question of her own.

"Do they have MILSIM?" she asked. Dust looked surprised, his eyebrows raising behind his sunglasses. After a moment of thinking, he nodded.

"I think so, yeah. It's only for members of SWAT, the ZPD, or vets, though. So I'm not sure if we'd be allowed to play, since I'm not a part of any of those." Dust replied.

Nick shrugged it off. "We'll give it a shot. Worst they can do is say no, right?" Both Dust and Judy nodded at this.

Upon entering the building, Judy found that it was surprisingly different from the arcade. Rather than the hot air filled with the smell of cheap food and foul odors, this one had crisp air and scents that made her stomach growl. The noise, however, was three times worse than the arcade – more racing games, more simulators, more shooters, more _everything_ , and it wound all through the building. Mammals walked or ran to and fro, some with drinks, others with tickets, some with both. Older couples oversaw their children as they played, and younger ones held paws or hooves as they went to various machines.

Dust walked up to a small counter, just too tall for her to see over, and began talking to the employee, a hare with the name "Bigg" on his nametag. Dust paid for the three of them, and they were each given a small stamp on the top of their right paw by a somewhat chunky looking deer.

"If we need to leave," Dust explained to her, "These stamps are our tickets back inside."

Immediately after they had entered, both Nick and Dust began walking to the back left of the building, following signs ripped straight from an old cartoon to the paintball arena. Judy followed after, drinking in the sights around them. In one darkened area, there was a series of pods, from which a group of mixed mammals exited and a new set entered. She caught a glimpse inside of them, revealing a seat with several screens, a wide expanse of buttons, switches, and a few levers. Bipedal robots stomped around the screens, firing lasers and rockets at everything and nothing as an announcer talked away in a husky voice.

When the trio reached the entrance to the paintball area, another cream-colored hare greeted them and requested their cards and IDs. They each presented their own (though Judy was curious as to what Dust's read, after seeing the hare's expression) and let them through the doors. Beyond was a room with several computers for the staff to use, a few TVs displaying scores – all were blank, as no one was playing – and half a dozen sets of lockers of six each, each set a different color. Black, red, and blue.

"So, what kind of game are you looking to play today?" the hare asked. His nametag read "Bil". "We've got capture the flag, VIP, free for all -"

Dust cut him off. "Two v one MILSIM deathmatch."

The hare looked over the group, almost hesitating. "I'm afraid, sir, that we can only offer anything MILSIM to members of the force, current or past. Unless you're all in that category, I'm afraid I can't offer that."

Nick nudged Judy as he presented his ZPD badge, waiting for her to do the same. Bil inspected them and nodded, before turning to Dust expectantly. The fox shrugged in response.

"Well... If you three aren't all members, then I'm afraid I can't-"

"Sir, two of us are officers who've given you proof. Why can't he join us in this game?" Judy asked. The hare looked a bit nervous.

"According to the company rules, I'm not supposed to let anyone that's not a member of the ZPD, SWAT, or a veteran play a MILSIM match. But at the same time," he said, wincing slightly under Judy's cold but expectant gaze. "They never explicitly stated what to do in a situation like this... And, giving in to my better judgement, you three can play. But I don't promise that it won't be interrupted by management." Taking a steadying breath, Bil walked over to the black cabinets and began unlocking them.

"Two on one, right?" he asked.

"Right," Nick said, putting his paws in his pockets. The hare turned back to them with three different sets of gear, each one resembling a military style vest, with several ammunition pouches and a small back pocket for a tank of compressed air.

"Two foxes and a rabbit," he said, handing them over. Dust took off his charcoal hoodie and slid the vest on, clipping it into place. Nick and Judy inspected theirs, adjusting the straps as needed before slipping theirs on.

"Your cards, please," Bil said, paw extended to each of them. He took each member's card and swiped it on a slot beside one of the computers before hopping up to one. "Okay, two teams. I need you to choose a name to use," he said, gesturing up to the screen, "and to tell me who is on what team."

The three of them looked over the screen as roughly fifty names appeared. Arkansas, Alabama, all the way to some named Colorado, Texas, Mississippi and Washington.

"I'll take Texas. I'm on my own," Dust said. The hare nodded and keyed it in.

"I kind of like Carolina," Judy mused. Nick nodded and muttered something about "York."

The hare nodded at both and punched in the names as well. "And, weapons?" he asked. "We've only got a few for mammals of your size, though."

Judy and Nick looked over the selection on the screen – each weapon was some model of a sub-machine gun or a small shotgun. After a brief debate, Nick settled on a model MP5, while Judy took a much smaller Vector. Dust chose an MP7. The hare nodded again, and walked back over to the lockers, rifling through the contents before withdrawing the selected weapons and setting them aside. He also withdrew what looked like three pistols, but each were oddly designed, the front half being slightly bigger. It almost seemed like it needed to be held with both paws.

A moment later, the hare went back to the lockers and tugged out three appropriately sized masks, setting them beside the weapons. He also took out a collection of magazines for the weapons, several silver canisters the size of a soda bottle, and three hoses.

"Before we begin, here are the rules. No shooting at one another from less than fifteen feet – just point and say 'Bang'. Two shots to the legs, arms, or body and you're out. If you take just one, you're still in. One to the head, and you're out. If you're out, you can't talk or give away someone's position. You can tell you've been hit if the paint breaks. You will each have three magazines of twenty-five paintballs each. Your sidearms will only have twelve. The gas lines must be attached to fire the weapon, as well as the safety in the off position. Each weapon is only semi-automatic. The first team to eliminate all the enemy players wins the round, and you're permitted to play as many rounds as you would like, but know that others may join at any time and the game may have to be changed as a result."

As Bil spoke, he began handing out the masks, each of which had a scarf set inside of it, to the trio. Each one put theirs on, Judy feeling slightly suffocated by the hard plastic. Nick and Judy had a wide-eyed, single visor helmet not unlike a motorcycle helmet, a small visor included. Dust was given a more bug-eyed model, without a visor. He had a black scarf, which he wrapped loosely around his neck and head, covering all but the tips of his ears. Nick just wrapped his yellow-brown scarf around his neck, and Judy wrapped her light blue around her head, similar to Dust's, but not bothering to try and cover her ears.

Bil walked behind each of them, strapping a silver canister into each of their backs, followed by a hose. After looping it around to the front of the mammals and having them hold it, he brought over the weapons themselves and attached them to the hose, before going behind them again and turning a small nozzle. He then turned and handed each one a set of three magazines, each one gleaming with a different colored paintball at the top.

"The gas will only be used once you pull the trigger. If you run out, you have to come back for a refill," Bil said. Dust was silent, patiently waiting, while Judy strained to contain her tapping foot and Nick chuckled softly at her. "The color of your paintballs will match your scarf, to make it easier to identify who hit who. Are there any other questions?"

Dust raised a paw, putting it down once the hare nodded at him. "Are we allowed to vault, sprint, things like that?" he asked.

"Of course," the hare said. "But we are not responsible for any harm done to you or your belongings. We can take your electronics and store them in the safe if you'd like."

Dust looked at the other two and shrugged, taking out his phone and turning it off before giving it to the hare, alongside with some earbuds. Nick and Judy passed off their phones as well, not wanting to break them in their match.

Bil turned to the black lockers again and opened up the furthest one, revealing it to be empty. He set their belongings inside and shutting the door before turning back to the trio. "Anything else?" he asked, nodding and walking to the doors leading to the arena when no one else spoke up.

"When the announcer says, it's time to begin. To reset the next round, there's a button beside the door. Press it, and we'll get you set up for the next round." Bil spoke to the group as they walked outside. "You have two minutes before the round begins, each team goes to either side of the map. Good luck."

With that, he shut the door, leaving the three to look around. The arena was set up like a partially destroyed town. Buildings with deliberately broken walls, missing doors, and blocked off entrances were strewn around, with a tall building standing at the center. Where all buildings were one or two stories, that one was three tall, having a bell tower. Rainbows of paint peppered the area, giving it a strange coloration at times. Cameras and speakers littered the arena, keeping watch on nearly every angle available.

Dust nodded slightly after drinking in the sights and turned to walk off, before Judy stopped him.

"Hey," she said, voice slightly muffled by the mask. "Want to make this interesting?" she asked. Dust gave her a curious look behind the mask, but nodded. "Let's make a bet. Whoever wins the most, loser has to do them a favor and can't deny it. Long as it's within reason." She could feel Nick staring at her, as was Dust, who eventually shrugged.

"Why not?" he said, shrugging. "May the best team win," he said, offering the two a paw. They shook it lightly and walked off, Nick waiting until he knew Dust was out of earshot before leaning down to Judy.

"Were you planning that?" he asked. Judy nodded, smiling beneath the plastic.

"It's two on one in something we've been trained in, we can't lose! And when we win, we can use the favor to take him to the Precinct. If nothing else, it'll get Bogo off our backs on this, right?" she asked, ears drooping slightly at Nick's frown, though she could hardly see it through the black plastic.

"I'm not sure he'll see that as being 'within reason,'" the fox explained. "He's been evading us for a long time now, and I don't see him just agreeing to giving himself up because he lost a game."

"We'll figure something out," Judy said as they reached a fence marking one side of the arena. "First thing's first, we need to beat him."

An overhead speaker crackled to life, the noise sounding on both ends. "Round One," a female announcer said. Judy looked down at her weapon and loaded up one of the magazines, hearing Nick do the same.

"Got a plan?" he asked her, the announcer repeating herself.

"Maybe we can get up to the bell tower?" she suggested. "It'll give us a good line of sight over everything."

Nick nodded at the idea, readying himself.

"Round begins in three, two, one," the announcer said, before a small buzzer sounded. Judy was off immediately, waiting until she was halfway to the tallest building to slow down. Nick caught up to her as she kneeled beside a buidling. Peeking around the corner, she felt Nick rest a paw on her shoulder. She reached back and pat his leg once, before slowly walking down the side of the building, Nick covering her. Once she reached the corner, she waved for him to come up, watching their surroundings with raised ears. She could hear sounds from inside the building, as well as traffic from nearby, but she kept her ears trained for the sound of scuffling that wasn't Nick.

He set a paw on her shoulder again, this time peeking around the corner. They were a few buildings off from the tower, making them realize how big the arena was – half a city block, at least. Filled with various levels of cover.

Nick pat her shoulder twice before starting to move to the next building, stopping just between it and another building. He looked behind him and waved her to come forward, keeping watch in front of them as she did so.

They shifted forward like this until they were across from the building they desired. It was Nick's turn to go ahead, and he gently pat Judy's shoulder twice before moving forward. It wasn't until he was halfway to the building, out in the open, when she heard a scuffling to their left. She let out a hiss of Nick's name, and a flick of his ear told her she heard him as he quickened his pace. She leaned around the corner, searching for the source of the sound, as a small thudding sound brought her attention back to Nick. A black paintball was splattered against the side of his head, and he held up a paw.

He was out.

Judy's eyes widened as she shifted to peer around the corner better. Given the angle Nick had been shot from, Dust was several buildings parallel to her. He'd probably try to sneak up on her from behind, so she decided to slip around the corner, weapon raised, and press herself to the wall. Nick looked back at where he'd been shot at from, scanning the area. 

The gray rabbit slowly walked to the edge of her building and peeked the corner, moving across to the next one when she saw nothing. The same happened at the end of her second building, but as she neared the end of the third, she heard something behind her. The scraping of claws on dirt. Dropping to a knee, she spun around and pressed herself against the building, only to have her visor filled with black paint and she nearly fell to the ground.

Letting out a shout of defeat, Judy wiped at the paint with her scarf, clearing it as Dust and Nick walked over.

"Nice shots," Nick commented, offering Judy a paw. She took it and stood, lowering her weapon.

"You almost had me, Hopps," Dust said. "I think you'd of had me if I took a moment longer."

Judy laughed slightly and shook her head. "I'll just have to be faster then, won't I?" she stated. Dust chuckled and nodded, walking to the entrance.

"How many games do you want to play?" he asked, letting them follow.

Nick looked down at Judy expectantly, seeing as she had taken the lead of decisions now, as she through it over.

"Nine," she said. "Odd number, shouldn't take us too long to do, but not too few that's it's based on luck."

Dust nodded, pressing the button at the door once he reached it. He flashed a thumbs up at the others before heading off to his end of the arena again.

"Any other plans?" Nick asked, walking beside Judy as they went back to their "spawn".

"Rush to the building?" she suggested. "Don't waste time moving up, just get in there?"

Nick nodded, readying himself as the buzzer sounded again. This time, he and Judy wasted no time doing a full on sprint for the tower. Hasty corner checking was done as they sprinted between buildings and pushed inside their destination. Nick positioned himself in a corner and looked outside as Judy ascended the stairs to the tower, carefully looking down from every window she saw.

The ground was silent and clear as she moved up. At reaching the top, she walked over to the railing, resting a paw on it as she peered down.

She could see the whole arena from up here. Every building, every entrance was visible to her. She could see the cameras, speakers, and Dust's tail disappearing inside a building to their left.

Wait, his tail disappearing inside.

Judy rushed to the stairs, trying to keep track of her bearings as she looked down. "Nick!" she nearly yelled. "Nine o'clock!"

She couldn't tell if the fox had heard her or not, but she could hear him shift and get up, his nails clacking against the concrete ground below faintly. Wind whistled against her ears lightly as she aimed down below, watching for any sign of their target. It wasn't until she saw Nick moving over to a building parallel that she realized she had been holding her breath. She let it out, relaxing slightly as she watched the building Dust had disappeared into. There were three windows, and a door frame to watch out for. If she could just-

Several black pellets whizzed past her ears, causing the rabbit to yelp and fall backwards. Scrambling to her feet, Judy looked down just in time to see Nick entering the same building she had been watching. There was a small shout, from which fox she couldn't tell, and then silence. Judy peered over the edge more as she tried to look down, flinching as something hit her mask from below. She reached down to where the sound had come from and wiped at it, sighing at the black paint on her fingers.

"Hit!" she called out, turning to descend the stairs. Once she reached the bottom, Nick greeted her, two black spots evident on his chest. He offered a shrug as Judy rolled her eyes. Dust was waiting outside, rubbing at his neck as the others exited.

"You almost got me, Nick." Dust said.

The other fox chuckled. "You got lucky, falling on your back like that."

Dust nodded. "And you, Hopps, I wasn't expecting to actually hit you from that angle."

"Well," she said, shrugging. "You just barely managed to hit the bottom of my mask." She held up her fingers as proof. Dust rubbed the back of his neck more.

"Lucky shot," he said, turning to head to the entrance and start the next round.

Judy turned to Nick with a thoughtful expression. "I think I figured out how to get him," she said. Nick's ears raised and he looked down at her expectantly, both walking to their starting point.

"You almost got him while he was focused on me. What if we do that, but stay coordinated? One distracts and the other goes around him?" she suggested. Nick gave the idea a quick run-through in his head, before nodding.

"So, one of us goes into the tower this time," he thought aloud. "And the other gets into a good spot that covers where we think he'll hit from?"

The gray rabbit nodded. "The past two matches, he's circled around to where we start. One of us should do the same, hit him from across the way."

The fox beside her nodded, and they turned at reaching their fence. "I'll hide inside the building," Nick said. "I'm bigger, he'll see me easier and it'll draw him out."

Judy nodded, both pushing off the fence at the announcer's third buzzer sounding. This time, Nick sprinted for the building without even looking for Dust, Judy circling around the back of the buildings around it to reach Dust's side. She checked the corners hastily, but met no opposition as she settled inside of an empty two-story building. Half the wall facing the bell tower was missing, and it gave her both cover and a line of sight to where she felt the reynard would attack from.

In silence, she sat for a minute and a half, before she saw Nick lean out one side of the doorway. He was looking on her side of the map, ears at attention as he listened for the other fox. He flinched a moment later, black paint splattering on his scarf as he called out "Hit!"

Judy saw the angle the shot was fired from, and shifted into the other corner. Across from the doorway Nick was in, Dust was peering out a window, his weapon raised and aimed high. With a smirk, she leveled her own weapon and squeezed the trigger a few times. Bright blue balls of paint sailed through the air, several hitting him in the leg and chest, peppering the walls as well. With a raised paw, he called out "Hit!" and stood up, Judy grinning under her mask as she raced downstairs and outside to meet the others.

"Nice shots, Hopps," Dust said, brushing some of the paint off from his chest. Nick raised a fist and Judy bumped it with her own.

"You got me in the neck," Nick said, rubbing the spot where he'd been shot. Dust gave an apologetic chukle.

"Well, Judy paid me back for it. I took seven hits," he said, pointing to each blue spot on his clothes. The rabbit let out a small giggle in response, swapping her magazine with a new one and holding it up, her other paw on her hip.

"You needed a splash of color," she said. Dust chuckled and shook his head, turning to walk back to the start.

Nick and Judy turned and began jogging to their spawn again, waiting at the fence as the announcer counted down.

"Same plan?" Nick said.

Judy nodded. "Except, let's change areas. You stay on one end of the map, I'll stay on the other. Ground floor," she said. Nick nodded again, both sprinting away as soon as they were allowed to. Nick paused on their end of the map, turning and entering a two-story building as they passed it, taking up a position somewhere inside as Judy kept going. This time, she went around the same end of the map Dust seemed to always take.

She didn't expect to see him entering a building, his black-tipped tail disappearing inside as she rounded a corner. Smirking with satisfaction, she approached the entrance and looked inside, paintball gun raised. Dust was in a corner right in front of her, little over fifteen feet away, peering out a window.

Without warning, she aimed for his head and fired, hearing the paint break on his helmet as the side of it became splattered the bright blue.

"Hit!" he said, raising a paw and looking her way. His indigo eyes were hidden behind the tan goggles of his mask, but she could tell they were filled with surprise from how the fox stood up. "Didn't think you'd get to me so quickly," he admitted. "Nice shot."

Both of them walked out to the middle, Dust pointing to the side of his head once they were in Nick's sight. He laughed, raising a paw for Judy to meet with her own.

"Alright, two for two," Nick said. Despite the mask, Judy could tell he was grinning.

"Two for two," Dust echoed, nodding as he went back to the start.

Judy and Nick began walking to their spawn yet again. "So how'd you do that?" Nick asked, glancing down at her.

"Saw him go inside a building, snuck up on him," she said. Nick laughed again.

"And you just got him in the side of his head?"

The rabbit nodded. "Same plan this time?" she asked. Nick nodded, both silently pushing into a sprint at the fifth buzzer.

Nick climbed into the same building as before, Judy circling the right side of the map again. She posted herself inside a single-story, two-room building and peered outside the doorway from within, eyes narrowed as she watched for any movement. She didn't expect her vision to suddenly fill with black paint, followed a moment later by Dust calling out "Hit!" a third time.

Using a loose piece of scarf, she cleared her visor and walked out, grinning under the plastic. They were finally in the lead.

Dust had an off-green splatter over the front of his visor now, lightly talking with Nick as she neared the two. They shared a small laugh, turning their attention to the gray bunny as she neared.

"Took you long enough, Wilde," Dust said, humor lacing his voice.

"Hey, it's not my fault Carrots here is half our size, alright? I'm a bigger target," came Nick's response, both his paws held up as he chuckled.

Dust shook his head, turning to walk to the start again before Judy spoke up. "Dust, we'll reset it this time."

The fox paused for a minute, before shrugging and walking off to his spawn, giving them a thumbs up. Judy and Nick walked side-by-side as they went to set up the next match.

"So, what's the plan, Slick?" Judy asked, looking up at him. He looked back, ears tilting back.

"What, you want me to come up with a plan this time?" he said, surprise filling his voice. She nodded, causing him to chuckle. "Well, officer, I would be honored to be in charge of something so important." He hit the reset button and started walking back with the bunny at his side, thinking.

"So what if we did the same thing as before?" he asked. "Only, we stay with one another? Say, one of us on the ground floor, the other on the second?"

"Wouldn't he be able to see us both?" Judy asked, frowning a bit. They had just gotten the lead, she didn't want to throw it away.

"He would," Nick started. "If we were on our side. If we went on the other half of the map, though, I doubt he'd expect us. He's been watching our side only, not his."

Judy rolled the idea around in her head for a moment, before nodding with satisfaction. The duo reached their fence just as the buzzer sounded, both immediately pushing off and moving to the right side. They clung to the outside edge of the map, before they were parallel with their target building – another two-story willed with walls of plywood. They slowly walked inside, sweeping the inside, before Nick began walking for the stairs. They creaked faintly as he moved up, but settled back to silence once the fox had reached the top. Judy went to the front of the building, aiming outside of it as she watched for the second fox.

A small thud sounded behind her, and she spun around, slightly confused to see nothing. A second thud sounded, slightly to her right, and she crouched down. She could hear a small _thump_ just before the thudding noises, coming from somewhere in front of her.

Just then, Dust leaned around the corner, firing two shots into her chest. The force of being hit at such close range sent her on her back as she fired off several of her own shots, before calling out "Hit!"

Dust looked down at his chest, a shiny new splotch of blue paint visible over his midsection as he looked to the stiars. Judy bit her lip and wished she could call out to Nick as the other fox disappeared around the corner again.

Thirty seconds later, she heard Nick call out that he'd been hit, and both foxes descended the stairs.

"How'd you know we were here?" Judy asked once they had met up.

"I was circling the back by the fence and saw you two head in here," Dust explained. "I hit the wall by you twice," he continued, pointing to Judy. "I had about an inch of space I could see through and just couldn't get to you, so I followed you inside."

Judy raised her head in realization of what she had heard, letting out a long "Oh." Dust nodded, counting the matches on his fingers before looking at both her and Nick.

"We're tied, three for three," he said. Nick nodded and looked down at Judy, who had already begun walking to the entrance.

Nick waved once to Dust before running to catch up with her, the other fox turning and trotting to his spawn.

"New plan?" he suggested, once he caught up to her.

Judy nodded. "Just find him, shoot him," she said. Nick raised an eyebrow under his mask.

"No official plan?" he clarified. "No bait, no ambush, none of that? Just run up and hit him?"

"Yup," was Judy's response, making Nick take in a breath before nodding.

"Alright, you're the boss," he muttered as they neared the fence. The seventh buzzer rang out, and both officers broke away from the fence in opposite directions. Judy ran left as Nick passed behind her, heading right. There was silence on her end for what felt like the longest time, until a familiar _thump_ could be heard from inside a building to her right. She carefully began to head inside, bringing up her weapon as she saw Dust leaning out of the doorway.

In her haste, Judy fired off a random paintball, which splattered on the wall next to the fox before her. He turned slightly and threw himself from the building, one of Nick's paintball's splattering on the inside wall as she raced out after him. Dust was currently firing off in one direction, facing away from her as he ran for another building. Judy aimed again and fired, this time hitting the back of his leg and staining his pants blue.

Dust turned to fire at her again, but was stopped as one of Nick's paintballs broke on the side of his mask, then his shoulder.

"Hit, hit!" he called out, raising one paw and lowering his other. Slowly, Judy and Nick approached him.

"Was that planned?" he asked, looking between them as he panted a bit. He was now covered in different shades of paint, more so than both Nick and Judy. Both of them shook their head and smirked, despite knowing the other fox couldn't see it. "Lucky as hell," he muttered, turning to walk back to his spawn.

Judy looked up to Nick, beaming, as they walked to the entrance. "Again?" she said, her smirk transforming into a grin as the fox nodded. They spun reached their fence just before the buzzer again, and both again broke left and right.

Judy clung to the outer edges of the map this time, keeping an eye out for Dust's more vibrant red fur. She never saw him, however, only instead feeling two rounds hit her left leg and shoulder before she called out a defeated "Hit!"

Nick eventually wound his way around to where she was kneeling, one elbow on her leg as she held up her head. He only briefly looked at her before looking around suspiciously. At finding nothing, he began moving for a building. He only managed a few more steps when he took two paintballs in the back, holding up a paw and calling out "Hit!"

Dust stepped out behind them, lowering his paintball gun as he did so. "Tied again," he said, swapping out his magazine for a new one. "This next match decides the winner. Good luck," he said before walking off. His tone was now more serious, as opposed to the light-hearted one he had earlier.

Nick and Judy looked at one another, before rushing back to their spawn.

"We need to win this," Judy said.

"I know," Nick replied.

"Like, need, need to," she said again. "I think it's the easiest way to bring him in."

"I know," Nick said again.

"And I don't want to lose to him again," she continued, paws turning to fists. "It's so infuriating! I mean, how can he-"

Judy was cut off by Nick reaching down and gently taking hold of her chin, leaning down to look her in the eye as best he could with the mask. "Hey, Carrots, listen. Don't get so worked up over this. This is just a game, even if winning benefits us at work. It's a game. Treat it as such. Have fun, alright?"

Judy took a moment to stare at him, amethyst gaze searching for his emerald one behind the visors they wore. She thought she could see a small flicker of them, along with a true smile, and she gave her own. Nick was right – winning would be a huge bonus, but unlike before, this was just a game with Dust. If they won, they'd have a leg up, but if they lost, what was the worst that could happen? As long as she gave it her all and had fun, that was what really mattered.

The buzzer sounded for the last time, interrupting her thoughts. A small idea formed in her head.

"Nick," she said. "We need to corner him. Watch for him to enter a building and we go into both entrances."

Nick tilted his head, before nodding. "Alright, that should work. Let's go," he said, beginning to run to the left side of the map. Judy followed after, each watching the other's back. Judy had been engrossed in thought until Nick tapped her shoulder and pointed to a building just outside her view. With an unspoken coordination, she nodded and began moving around the buildings between her and their destination, Nick doing the same a few moments later.

When Judy looked into single-story building, Dust was nowhere to be seen. Then, a small motion just beyond the doorway caught her eye, and she saw the distinct black scarf of her target. She fired once, barely missing the fox's paw as he drew away and turned to face her, firing blindly before a burst of paintballs from his right made him dive away from his hidden position. Judy fired at him again, leaving new splotches of paint along the wall as Dust rolled and forced himself into a corner.

As if with an unspoken command, Nick leaned just within the doorway at the front of the building. Judy began pushing into the room, aiming to where she assumed Dust was, until a flash of black and red went across the room. It took a moment to process what had happened as she heard Nick yelp and the crunching of dirt, accompanied by the sound of two paintball guns being fired rapidly. The rabbit quickly raced outside to see Dust rolling to one side, firing his paintball gun at both her and Nick, who was strafing to the right. The hasty shots from the paintball guns sent the rounds wide as both parties moved to avoid the projectiles.

Judy began firing at the other fox as well, watching him constantly pick himself up and throw himself in whatever direction and behind all the walls he could to avoid the paintballs. He was returning fire, but missed just as often as they did, until his weapon finally ran out of paint and spat out air.

A curse was uttered as he sprinted for and rolled behind the bell tower, disappearing from their view. "Flanking right!" Nick said, beginning to run to the bell tower, leaving the rabbit to strafe left. As she did so, she felt three paintballs hit her in the leg, stomach, and neck, making her call out the hits and take a knee. Dust was rounding the corner, ears flattened against his head as he began circling the building, the unique sidearm they were given in his paws. The MP7 was at his hip, magazine empty. Nick rounded the corner just as Dust disappeared around the opposite one.

They were circling one another, and they kept up until the third circle. Dust broke the cycle, turning around just before he disappeared from Judy's view again and sprinting to the corner facing her. He dove to the side, parallel to the ground, just as Nick rounded the corner. A few shots later, and Nick held up both his paws – but not before Dust did the same.

The rabbit and black-splattered fox walked over to the comparably vibrant Dust, who was just laying there and panting, not having moved from his position on the ground. Nick was also panting, but significantly less so. "That was slick," he commented, leaning down with an outstretched paw to help up the other fox, who took it with thanks.

"Thanks," came the quiet response. "I didn't think that would work."

"Well," Judy said, looking over both herself and Nick. "It did, and it almost won you the game. Nice play." She extended a paw out to Dust, to shake it, which he took and did with a nod, followed by his shaking Nick's paw. They began heading to the entrance, mostly in silence, until Judy spoke at something that bothered her.

"Hey, Dust? How'd you get out the room?" she asked, looking at the taller reynard.

"I jumped out the window," he said simply. "It was the only available exit."

Judy nodded after a moment, shrugging a bit. They hadn't considered that as an option.

Bil was waiting just inside as the group entered. In silence, he took their gear and put it in their respective places within the black locker before handing back their phones and Dust's earbuds.

"That was a good game," the hare commented, standing before the door. "But, the winner is Carolina and York. The paint will come out with a normal washing. We hope to see you all again."

With that, he opened the door and let the other three pass through before walking out himself, letting the door swing shut.

Judy's ears drooped in confusion at the massing of mammals around the paintball area. Wolves, elephants, and other mammals were cheering at the group as they walked out. She looked up to Nick, but he seemed just as lost as she was. Dust seemed to have his neutral expression back, minus his sports glasses. Paws in pockets, he paused and looked over the crowd, most of whom were reaching down to give him a low-four, which he hesitantly obliged to.

A coyote reached down as the trio passed by the end of the group. "Yo, that was awesome! I don't know how you three learned to play like that, but I wanna know!"

Dust shrugged and offered a nervous chuckle. "Uh... To be honest, there's no secret. Just luck on my end. These two are better, though."

"But still, you almost took 'em both down, two on one! Come on, you're telling me there's no secret?" the coyote pushed. His jaw dropped a bit when Dust shook his head again.

"Just lucky," he said, before walking off, Judy and Nick at his side.

The group continued in silence, walking to the front entrance. When they broke through to the sunlight, both foxes hissed and scrambled to shield their eyes with sunglasses.

"Alright, Dust," Judy said, resting her paws on her hips as she gave him a defeated look. Nick set a paw on her shoulder. "What do we do?"

The hooded reynard looked at the mammals before him in silence, opening his mouth to respond when his stomach growled. He looked down and shrugged lightly.

"Know any good places to eat?"


	13. Fast and Furious

Dust, Nick and Judy all exited the diner with muted belches. They had found a 70s style diner that served soy burgers and milkshakes that were out of this world. All three had eaten their full, the waitress was tipped well. Jokes had been shared, a few stories swapped, and overall, a good time had been had.

It was as though the three were old friends.

But, as was with everything, the sudden outing had to come to a close. Dust paused on the other side of his car and rested his chin on his arms again as Nick and Judy stopped beside their own ride.

"Thanks for that, you two," he said. "All of it. I haven't had a chance to relax like that in ages."

Judy moved her paw in a "pshaw" motion, leaning against Nick's car as the fox lifted his keys and spun them around his finger. "It's no problem. Glad we got to share some stories – you had a very strange time in high school."

Dust offered a small chuckle. "I wasn't messed with, at least. Long coats seemed to have that effect."

"I hate to admit it, but even I would've stayed away," Judy admitted, pausing before adding: "Mostly. Eventually I would've come up to you."

Nick nodded in agreement. "You'd of stood out. I could've approached you for a dozen reasons."

Dust nodded shallowly, slipping on his sunglasses as the sun began to dip below the horizon. "Fair enough you two. But, it's late. We should get going, and get some sleep. I'll see you two around," he finished, waving a little goodbye before climbing into his car. It roared to life as Judy and Nick waved back, reversing out and driving off.

Nick looked down at his rabbit friend, taking a deep breath before turning around and unlocking his door. "Alright, Carrots, time to get you home. We have a big day tomorrow, with whatever the chief throws our way."

Judy let out a groan, climbing into the passenger side. "It just better not be something like parking duty. If he finds a way to make that 'related' to the case, I'll be surprised."

Nick chuckled, starting his engine. "Don't ever doubt ol' Buffalo-Butt. I'm sure he could find a way to make cleaning sound related, if he wanted to."

Old rock music filled the car as they drove in silence. Judy was curled up on the passenger seat, staring out the window. Nick had his window rolled down, left arm hanging out while the right rested on the steering wheel.

Midway through their journey, the default ringing of a phone interrupted one of Nick's favorite songs, making him frown and turn down the volume. Judy withdrew her phone from her pocket and flinched briefly at the bright light that shone in her face. It was from someone not in her contacts list, showing just a number and a paw print as the ID.

She shot him a curious look, which he returned. "Wrong number?" she asked, turning back to the screen as he shrugged. With little other options aside from being rude and just hanging up, she answered and held the phone to one of her massive ears.

"Hello? Yeah. Who is this? _Dust?_ How did you get my number? What? Okay, okay, hold on."

She pulled the phone away and pressed a button, the sound of a dull engine now coming through the speakers.

"Nick, Judy, you both there?" Dust said.

"Yeah, we're here," Nick replied, a sour expression on his face. Why was the fox calling them? _How_ was he calling them?

"Good. Who's driving?"

"Yours truly," Nick said.

"Where are you?" the other reynard asked.

"Uh... Freeway, just about to turn west, why?" Nick replied.

"Hopps, look behind you. Tell me what you guys see."

Judy turned around in her seat, peering through the back window with her phone in paw. "Uh... Other cars. A black van and pickup, a white SUV, another muscle car. Some sports car in the back."

"What are the can and pickup doing?" Dust asked. His tone was stressed, and he spoke quickly.

"Driving. One's coming up beside us, the other is behind. Why?"

Nick suddenly got a nervous feeling in his stomach. Not like his food wasn't sitting well with him, but more that gut feeling that told him when he needed to leave a situation.

"Do you trust me?" he asked. "Because I found out something that's bugging me."

Judy and Nick shared a look, both taking a deep breath. "Go ahead," Nick said, bracing himself for what was to come.

"I need you guys to go on Slot Street. There's an alley towards the east end, where I'm parked. You need to drop off Nick's car in the alley and jump in mine."

"Uh... What?" Judy asked, looking down at her phone in disbelief.

"Listen, four vehicles pulled up to the diner while we were out. All black, all very suspicious. Two followed after me, two on you. And somehow, I don't think Nick's car is the greatest for losing anyone."

"You're taking an awfully big leap here," Nick commented. "What if you're wrong about this?"

"Then what's the worst that can happen? We cruise for an hour and get back to your car. If I'm right, though, we could all be in danger."

"Wait, you said two cars were on you, right? Where are they if you're parked in an alley?" Judy asked.

"Lost them. Part of why I don't think Nick's car can lose your guys, assuming I'm right." Dust sounded calmer now, his engine having died down. "Trust me on this. When have I steered you two wrong so far?"

Judy and Nick gave one another a third look, the fox setting a hard expression before activating a blinker, turning off the freeway. Judy looked behind them, watching as the van and pickup followed after moments later.

Nick was watching out the rear view, and groaned. "Watch them for a few more turns, okay Carrots? If they follow us, there's a problem."

"Alright," she said, turning in her seat slightly to watch them. Nick continued to drive, playing oblivious, but even he could see the two vehicles trailing after them as they neared Slot Street.

"I'm facing north," Dust said, making Judy and Nick jump – they had forgotten to hang up. "I think you'll have about thirty seconds before we're cornered in the alley."

"You have this all timed out, don't you?" Nick said. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you orchastrated this."

"I didn't," Dust said, his tone taking a sharp edge.

"Relax, relax! It was a joke," Nick said. The other fox just grunted almost inaudily before falling silent.

"We're about to pull up," Nick said after a moment.

The only response was the sound of Dust's engine starting, before the call ended.

"They still behind us?" Nick said. He didn't need confirmation – these drivers were sloppy, not even trying to hide that they were tailing them.

"Still behind us," Judy confirmed. She had a slightly worried tone in her voice now. "We're about to pull up in the alley, be ready."

Nick nodded and watched, speeding up a bit before slamming on the brakes and turning into the alley. The van overshot the turn, but the pickup managed to brake just outside the alley and back up, blocking the exit.

Dust's car was right ahead of them, midway into the alley. Nick killed the engine, before he and Judy hopped out and slammed the doors shut, sprinting for the charcoal vehicle. The passenger door was flung open as they threw themselves inside. Judy climbed between the front seats, and into the cramped back as Nick buckled himself up front, closing the door as Dust's engine roared to life and he stepped on the gas.

A quick once-over revealed that the interior of the fox's car was heavily modified. Switches sat at the roof, each one labeled with a roman numeral, and the roof sat lower than it normally should. A slightly larger red one sat above the driver's seat. Handles were visible at the angle where the door closed and, on Dust's side, there was a small, rounded bit of plastic that stuck out. All the switches had a faint green glow to them.

"What is all this?" Nick wondered aloud.

"Modifications," Dust replied. "Don't touch anything."

As the car tore out of the alley in a quick left, the newcoming fox and rabbit nearly being thrown to the side as the tires screeched. A black SUV turned onto the street behind them, and began to speed up as Nick and Judy's van rounded the opposite corner.

Dust raced past the van and turned for the freeway, digging into his pocket for something. He took out his phone and, with one paw, plugged it into the car's speakers.

Nick cast a look in the side mirror, seeing the pickup racing to match their car. The van was behind them, Judy frowning as she turned around in her seat. Dust shifted to the center lane of the road, trying to pass the few cars that were still out at the moment, and the SUV pulled up to their left side.

"Wait, there's only three cars here, you said there were four." Nick stated, taking a count of the vehicles. "Where's the last one?"

As if to answer, Dust tapped the brakes as a sports car with low bearing pulled in front of them, the glossy black paint job matching the other three vehicles.

"There," the other reynard said, nodding ahead. "Hopps, take these," he said, reaching one paw behind him to hand small, bright orange earplugs. "Wilde, you can get a pair, too, if you want."

Confused, the rabbit took them and stuffed them into her ears.

"My music can get loud," Dust said, casting a few brief glances at his phone as they drove. Nick watched in silence, keeping track of things ranging from all the traffic laws Dust was breaking, to the placement of the cars. They had surrounded theirs, and were all traveling at the same speed, but occasionally one would steer too close for comfort while the others moved away.

Dust, of course, would do his best to keep them in the center of the group. They were slowly being herded to the right side of the freeway, and this made Nick uneasy.

"So uh, I really hope you've got a plan," Nick said. "They're kind of herding us along."

"I have a plan," Dust replied. "Wilde, reach beneath your seat and grab one of those metal canister groupings. Hopps, under your seat is a plastic tube – grab that. Pass them to me."

Nick dug around under his seat until he felt his paw come into contact with a trio of small, cold metal canisters, holding it up to inspect it. Each one was small, shaped similarly to a soda bottle, but silver and with worn out black text. They were all bound together with some black plastic. "Is this-"

"CO2 canisters, yes. They used to be put in some paintball and airsoft guns before they were taken off the market." Dust reached over with his free paw and grabbed hold of the canister, reaching over to the lip by his door and pushing in, then to the right. A space was exposed, two openings of different widths. The bottom one was smaller, just the right size for the canisters, and with a set of small springs beneath it.

Dust switched which paw held the canisters and pushed it into the bottom slot, before holding up his right paw for whatever Judy was tasked with retrieving.

"What are these?" The rabbit asked, holding up a small, clear plastic tube filled with metal spheres little bigger than a quarter. Red caps sat on both ends, each with a lip. The fox grabbed it and popped off one lid, placing it into the larger space, openinig facing down, before popping off the other lid and closing the hatch.

"Ball bearings," he said simply. Nick and Judy both gawked at him as he looked in each mirror.

"Listen, Hopps, Wilde. If this all works, I need you to do me a favor, alright? Don't tell anyone about my car."

"No promises," Nick said. "You must have spent a lot of time on her for this."

"You have no idea," the fox replied. "Nick, open my phone and go to the music app. Hit a random song in the playlist labeled 'IND.' And then..." he trailed off, waiting for Nick to do as instructed. His paw paused for a moment as the car was jerked to one side, pulling away from the SUV.

A low, electrical sound made itself barely audible over the engine. It took a moment, but Nick identified it as industrial rock – white noise blasts and electronic sounds would mix in with heavy guitar and bass lines. It seemed surprisingly fitting.

"Then?" Judy asked, a paw on either seat as she pulled herself forward.

"Hold onto your tails!" Dust said, turning up the music so much they could _feel_ the bass. What happened next both scared and impressed the officers.

Dust reached up and flipped a switch once, then back. A moment later, the van screeched and swerved away, the windshield filled with holes and cracks, one tire nearly exploding. The fox driver hit the brakes just long enough to fall behind the three remaining cars, before he stepped back on the gas and sped past the SUV.

"Another set of bearings!" He shouted, shoving the hatch aside and taking out the now-empty plastic tube. Judy reached up and handed him a second tube, and Nick watched him pop off one end, set it inside, then pop off the other end and shut the hatch.

The three cars were trying to form a triangle around them now, the SUV in back, pickup to the left, and sports car to the right. Dust flipped the switch twice again, and this time Nick saw small flashes of silver as the ball bearings were sent flying. The black vehicle turned and managed to avoid two or three, but the turn sent it into the median, where it was left behind the trio.

"Watch out!" Judy shouted, pointing to their right as the pickup tried to ram the muscle car. Dust hit the brakes, nearly sending Nick and Judy into the dashboard, before he stepped on the gas again, angling himself for an exit. The pickup did its best to match pace with them on the outside lane, before turning to ram them again. This time, Dust sped up, just barely missing the vehicle as it was sent into the off-ramp and out of sight.

"Where's the sports car?!" Dust shouted, craning his head around to look.

Nick was doing the same, watching behind them. "Seven o'clock!" he called out, once he caught sight of the low riding vehicle. It was easily keeping pace with them, and was slowly leveling their front bumper with Dust's rear one.

"They're going to pit us!" Judy yelled.

"Seriously?! Gods dammit, alright, hold on!" Dust yelled back. His music was blaring, making all of their blood race more than it normally would in this situation – not by much, though. It didn't help that neither Nick or Judy had been in such an active car chase. Even shutting down Flash's street racer buddies had been a simple task of surrounding a rally once they had found it.

Nick gripped the seat beneath him as he felt their car lurch to one side. Dust slammed a foot down somewhere and shifted gears to neutral. Judy was shrieking in the back seat as she was flung to the side, expressing Nick's terror as they began to spin. Briefly, they could see the black sports car, the dark windshield hiding the expression of whoever was inside, before it was torn away by them spinning more.

Before Nick knew it, they were speeding down the freeway again. It took a minute to process the information.

"What? _What?!"_ He said, wide-eyed as Dust laughed. "I've pulled some car stunts in my time, but I haven't managed to pull that off before! How long have you practiced that?" he asked.

"You want the honest truth?" Dust replied.

Judy drew herself up between the foxes again as Nick pursed his lips. "Knowing you, you'll say... Twice."

"Wrong," Dust said. "Once. And that was it."

Nick reached over to punch his arm, mouth open to call him a liar when the car lurched again. Dust went through the same motions as before, spinning the car around to keep going.

"Hopps, do we have any more ball bearings?" he asked, frowning when she shook her head.

"No, there's nothing. Do you have anything else you could put in that tube?" she responded, head tilted a bit.

"Maybe an empty canister, but that's a risk," Dust said, stepping on the gas more to avoid a third maneuver. "I have an idea, though. Sports cars and sand don't mix!"

As it to prove his point, Dust turned to an exit leading into Sahara Square. They were currently speeding along the outskirts. "Look for a path into the sand," Dust instructed. Nick took a moment, gaining their bearings, before mapping out the path needed in his head. It was simple, really, and it took them to an old race track used by the crime boss in this portion of the city. If they were lucky, it would be empty tonight – the boss and fox weren't exactly on great terms. Worse so than he had been with Mr. Big prior to Judy's intervention. Granted, he wasn't exactly on the shrew's good side, but he wasn't always watching his back in fear of being iced.

"Dust, listen. Coming up on the left side is an unmarked road, if you turn onto it we should hit an old race track!" The fox said, pointing to where he knew the road would lie.

Judy was looking between the foxes in confusion, orange ear plugs standing out against her fur. She probably couldn't hear them unless they shouted, he realized.

"Got it," Dust replied, waiting until the median had a break to fling themselves onto the other end of the street. The sports car was right behind them as he turned onto a brighter, more solid looking patch of sand. Their tires slid a bit, digging through a little under a half inch of sand before hitting dirt.

Dust shifted down and eased up on the gas as he did his best to angle the car along the faintly marked path. Nick threw a glance over his shoudler, breathing a sigh of relief as the sports car began to swerve, and ultimately skidded off the path. It sank down until its bumper met sand, and slowly grew still, tires unable to get a grip and push it along any further.

Dust continued to drive until they reached the sandy race track, clear spots for cars to rest visible all around. He finally sat back, paws falling away from the steering wheel as he let out a sigh, head bowed. He reached over and turned down his radio, before killing the engine.

"Out," he said a minute later. "We need to get out. I need air."

The three flung open the doors and flung themselves outside, feeling the cold night air brush along their faces, cool sand squishing beneath their feet. Dust was kneeling by the front of his car, the lights enveloping him as the other fox and rabbit joined him. They stood and looked around, Judy wrapping her arms around herself and Nick shivering a bit as he put his paws in his pockets.

There was a brief moment of silence, before the rabbit spoke, her voice sharp and determined. "Alright, Dust. We need to talk."

The fox's response was to just look up at them, panting as he stared in a silent curiousity.

"No more holding out on us. You need to come clean, or else we're going to take you to the Precinct right now. What's going on?" Judy now had her arms folded across her chest, staring down at Dust with a cold and even gaze, which he returned. Nick's ears folded back slightly, feeling the air become a little thicker between them.

"I... Can't," Dust said, standing up.

"Can't or won't?" Judy challenged.

"Both?" the reynard replied, giving a shrug. Judy shook her head.

"Not good enough," she said. "You have one minute to get yourself together before I expect an actual answer."

The group sat in silence, Dust staring down at the rabbit as Nick stepped behind her in silent support. As much as he felt it was too hasty of them to question the fox now, he also knew that they couldn't wait much longer. It was probably best to question him sooner, rather than later. Tilting his head with each second, Nick counted down from sixty. Judy's foot began tapping the sand about fifteen seconds in, sending light shockwaves of it through the air.

With five seconds to spare, Dust relaxed his posture and held out one paw. "We'll make a deal. Alright?"

Judy looked at Dust and considered the idea. "Name the conditions, first," Nick said.

"I'll come clean, tomorrow. But not at the Precinct, not where we'll be overheard." Dust said, voice even and his paw still outstretched. Nick took a deep breath before reaching out and shaking it. Judy looked between the foxes, before reaching up for Dust's paw.

Nick stepped back as Judy lunged forward, ears laid back and tail poofing out as the rabbit reached up Dust's arm and took a firm hold. The hoodie-wearing reynard barely had time to widen his eyes before he was being pulled to the ground, the arm which Judy had grabbed being twisted around him and pressed to his back as the rabbit planted her legs around him, effectively pinning him to the ground. His tail twitched in what Nick assumed was amusement, annoyance, or both.

With a grunt, Dust dug his nose from the sandy ground and looked up at her. "I'm taking that as a no from you, Hop Along?"

The fox let out a hiss as Judy pushed his arm up his back. Nick crouched down and locked eyes with the fox, paws being planted on his knees as he let his tone shift to an overly-sweet one, as if talking to a child.

"That was a mistake. I'm the only one who gets to call her nicknames, right Carrots?" He looked up at the rabbit with the last bit, both of them smirking.

"Likewise, Slick."

Nick nodded, before turning his gaze back to Dust. "What she means to say by pinning you down is: Yes, you have a deal. But if you break the deal in any way, you're going to regret it big time. If she can catch me on a good day, she can catch you on one as well. We foxes can be slick, but she might as well be covered in oil."

Dust stared up in silence, waiting for Nick to finish. "You'd better keep your end of the bargain, or you'll probably be ashes by tomorrow night. I promise, that bunny's rage is hotter than the sun."

With that, he rose, and Judy hopped from Dust's back and stood beside her partner again. They crossed their arms and watched with smug expressions as the reynard picked himself up and brushed his pants and coat free of the tan colored specks that now accompanied the vibrant blue stains from earlier that day.

A small staring match ensued, a thick silence settling between the three before Dust snorted and walked back to his car.

"Get in," he ordered, starting the engine. Nick and Judy shared a simple look of exhaustion before the climbed back into the car, Judy in back again as Nick slid in front.

Dust set the music to some orchastral rock band, before carefully steering the car to the road, passing by the dark sports car on their way. He casually rolled down the window and flipped off whoever was inside, before continuing on his way.

Neither officer was still conscious when he turned back onto the freeway.

~ óÓÒò ~

Dust silently shut the bedroom door as he left, looking down the nearly-bare hallway. A faint yet dark teal paint gleamed in the darkness as the air conditioning whirred in the background, sending a shiver down his spine. His home was constantly kept below sixty degrees, just as he liked it. The colder it was, to a point, the better your sleep. It was also more comfortable for him, having always produced more body heat than the usual mammal his size.

He had woken Nick just enough to lead him to the spare bedroom he held, the massive bed fitted for the likes of panthers and wolves. It was covered with a tan quilt and matching pillows, with a white sheet. Nick had, without question, stumbled through the hall and into bed without a word, immediately resuming his snores from before.

Judy was a different story – the bunny couldn't stay still, even in her sleep. After carefully dragging her from the back seat, Dust carried her carefully into the bedroom, setting her beside the sleeping fox and throwing the heavy blanket over them. When he turned around and started to shut the door, the sight of them spread warmth in his chest.

Nick had, briefly, groped around under the blanket until his arm wrapped around Judy and pulled her close. He held her in a protective embrace, his chin touching the top of her head as her ears rested against her back and his chest, paws curled to her chest.

The fox gave a true smile, the first he'd given in a long time, as he walked down the hallway to his own room. He walked inside and, without looking, threw his hoodie into its designated corner and flung himself under the lavender covers, resting his head on the blue plaid pillows. They chilled him through his fur, and he sighed softly, comforted by being back in one of the few places he considered safe.

Tomorrow would be a big day. He needed to get some sleep.


	14. Welcome to the Family

Judy Hopps was an early riser. It came naturally, what with being born on a farm, and being a police officer.

But early, and before the sun had even thought about rising, were two very different things. And one thought tore through the groggy rabbit's head:

 _I really, really need to go to the bathroom._

And so, without thinking, she crawled from the bed and dropped to the freezing cold floor. The feeling of rough carpeting against her feet was both a welcome sensation and a shocking one: The carpeting was _freezing_. Actually, everything was freezing.

Judy rubbed her arms with her paws as she made her way down the hallway, dark teal paint and no lights making it hard to see. She ran a paw along the wall, until she felt the outline of a doorframe beneath, and she poked her head into whatever room was there.

Due to the cold tile beneath her, she figured it was either the bathroom, or the kitchen. After fumbling around for a light switch and shielding her eyes, she found that it was exactly what she had sought: The bathroom, with some kind of tile that resembled very tiny pieces of hardwood, given a deep shade of blue bordering the night sky with thin streaks of burgundy and lime greens.

After a minute of shivering on the porcelain, Judy had done her business, washed her paws with cinammon scented soap, and began making her way back to the bedroom before something dawned on her.

She had no idea where she was.

Panic set in at the realization, before the rational portion of her brain kicked in.

 _You're clearly not in any danger. Relax a bit, calm breaths, take in your surroundings._

 _I'm completely calm,_ she argued with herself.

 _Sure, right. Your heart rate begs to differ._

 _Shut up,_ she thought. Judy began to take in her surroundings: A bare, dark teal hallway, with an opening to a quiet living room, four doors in the hallway. One to her left, the bathroom, and one that led to the bedroom she had emerged from. A third, thinner one sat at the end of the hallway, a linen closet. And, the last one, midway into the hallway. It was closed, and faint music drifted through it.

With a twitching nose of curiosity, she approached the closed door. She knew, in the back of her mind, that it was Dust's room, the memories of the day seeping back into her mind. The arcade, the bigger arcade, the car chase, "talking" with Dust, and then... Darkness, where she had fallen asleep.

So how had she gotten to the bed? She didn't recall waking up at any point before now.

Shaking her head, Judy began to shuffle her way back to the bedroom where she had woken, only to pause at the sound of a thudding from Dust's room. One ear rose up and turned to the door as she listened intnetely, curiosity taking hold of her.

Another small thump, and what she thought was a groan of pain.

Now more alert than before, Judy walked back to the door and, without much care for manners, slowly turned the knob and peeked inside.

The walls were a warm, soothing blue shade, which she could just make out from the bit of moonlight streaming through the window. She could see the faint outlines of a few pictures on the walls, along with... Swords? A closet was to the right, doors shut, and a dresser beside it. The top of the dresser was covered in clothes and small tools. A large, messy bed with a lavender comforter sat in the left corner, a wooden nightstand with a lamp beside it. An alarm clock reading "02:12" sat atop it.

Dust was currently in an awkward position, half on his bed, half off, tail laid over his legs as his chin rested on the ground. He held both paws over his eyes and snout, and was shaking slightly. Judy could've swore she heard him whimper faintly, but it was so soft even she had a hard time picking it up.

"Dust?.." She asked, tentatively stepping into the room. His ear twitched, and he reached out with one paw to drag himself further from the bed. He pushed himself up and against his bed, indigo eyes piercing through the darkness to meet her worried gaze. A few dark lines traced through his fur under his eyes.

"Hopps," he said after a deep breath. She could hear a tremble to his voice, and it was evident he was trying to seem alright. "Wasn't expecting you to be awake. Do you need something?"

Judy approached the fox carefully, her eyes not leaving his as she walked further into his room. "I heard a thump, I came to check on you," she said honestly. "Are you okay?"

The reynard stared up at the rabbit for a long time, before bowing his head and averting his gaze. That alone told Judy all she needed to know.

"I'm here to talk, if you want to," she said. There was silence, lasting well over a minute, before the rabbit slowly began to backpedal to the door. It seemed evident that Dust wasn't going to take her offer.

"Can... You get something for me?" Dust said suddenly.

Another raised and turned ear, and Judy slowly turned around. "Sure, what is it?" she asked.

Dust pointed over to his dresser. "In there, the bottom left drawer, there's a bag and a lighter. I need them."

Judy nodded, offering a small smile as she walked over to the dresser and opened the bottom drawer. Inside was a few different items – books, a torn up mask that smelled of ash, several lighters (she grabbed one that had the same shade of blue as the fox's eyes) and a sandwhich baggy that held part of a stiff, white plant inside.

Walking over to him, Judy handed the items to Dust, which he took gratefully. He opened up the baggy, and took a deep breath. Judy's nose twitched at the smell: It smelled... Grassy, s[icy, but had a sharp, almost soapy smell to it. It was sickly white and stiff as Dust pulled it out, broke a small chunk of several stiff leaves off, and placed the rest back in the bag.

He then reached over to his nightstand and opened the bottom drawer, withdrawing a bowl and depositing the leaves into it. Then he took the lighter and set the leaves on fire, before blowing them out.

A sweeter version of the leaf's smell began to waft through the air, whisps of white smoke rising from the bowl. It held the faint, typical smell of burning plants with it, but otherwise was a pleasant scent. Dust held the bowl close and shut his eyes, breathing in the smell once before setting it on the nightstand.

The two sat in silence for a minute, quietly listening to the faint music and taking in the sweet, herbal smell of the plant. Judy broke the silence, asking a simple question. "So... What is it?"

Dust opened his eyes and looked at her, eyes turning to the bowl when she nodded to it. "White sage," he explained. "It's a shrub that mainly grows in plains. Very old cultures used it for many practices. It helps me calm down," he said, rubbing his eyes.

Judy nodded, quiet. The smell _was_ soothing, but it was also a bit too sweet for her. She got the feeling that, too much of it for too long would upset her stomach.

"What happened?" she asked again. Dust stayed silent this time, looking down. She let a few seconds pass before speaking again. "If you don't want to tell me, it's alright. I understand." Almost by instict from all the times she'd comforted other mammals, she reached out and set a paw on his arm. A brief memory flashed in her mind, of her doing the same thing with Nick nearly a year ago. When she had done it then, she had reached out and given Nick all of her comfort and support, as a friend. Now, she was giving Dust a similar support and comfort – one of a listening ear or shoulder to lean on for the night.

"Judy, can you tell how I'm feeling right now?" Dust asked. He turned to her, his expression entirely stoic. Judy looked in his eyes, attempting to read what the held. Unlike Nick when he was hiding something, Dust's weren't glossed over. They held all his emotion, and Judy saw pain and sadness.

"You're hurting," she said. "But, from what?"

Dust looked away again. "Nothing new. I've always had this problem, but I can keep it down most of the time. Tonight, I couldn't. You just happened to catch me when I was, uh... Freaking out a bit, I guess."

Judy pursed her lips and nodded shallowly. "Do you want me to stay here?" She asked. Dust shook his head.

"You need sleep, and so do I. I... Should be better now. Thank you, Judy." He looked at her and gave a faint smile. She returned it, and slowly rose up, holding out a paw. Dust stared at it for a second before accepting it and pushing himself to his feet. Judy and the fox locked eyes for a moment, a silent understanding of not speaking of this passing between them.

Taking an exaggerated breath, Judy turned and started walking to the door. "Have a good night, Dust. I guess you know where we are if you need us."

"Sleep well, Judy. And, thank you," he said, nodding as she turned and shut the door behind her.

The room fell into silence as Judy walked down the hall, yawning. She would take time to process what had happened come morning, but right now, she needed to get back to bed. The day ahead promised to be a big one.

~ óÓÒò ~

The fox sighed and ran his fingers over the granite countertop as the smell of freshly-brewed coffee filled the room. The smell grew stronger as a large mug filled with the cream-colored substance, topped with whipped cream, was set before him. He looked up at the black panther as he turned to make another cup, muttering a thanks as he shifted in his stool.

"No problem," came the response, the panther's tail flicking as he went to work. He had been brought up to speed with most of the events of yesterday as he made the first mug, and as a result, the room settled into a comfortable silence.

Dust sighed, rubbing his eyes. He hadn't actually gotten any sleep until nearly three in the morning, and after that, he had woken around six thirty. _I have got to stop letting myself stay up so late,_ he thought to himself, taking a drink. The flavors of caramel and irish cream washed over his tongue as whipped cream stuck to the outside of his muzzle, leading him to cast his tongue over it.

He turned his thoughts to last night, when Judy had entered his room. He had been laying in bed, relatively comfortable, before his mind took a darker turn than he had needed. Self-depreciating and overall negative things began to fill his head and he had tried getting to the dresser himself for the white sage when he had collapsed off the edge of the bed.

He had barely managed to get himself under enough control to seem presentable when Judy had actually entered his room, and what happened after he couldn't remember very well. He knew she had gotten him the sage, and they had spoken briefly, but beyond that it was hazy.

His ears flicked at hearing the spare bedroom door creak open, a bright-eyed yet messy-haired bunny stepping out and beginning to walk down the hallway. It was then that he realized he had forgotten to tell the panther behind him a very important detail.

"Hey, uh, King?" he said, not taking his eyes off the rabbit until she walked into the bathroom and shut the door. A faint "hm?" was the response. "I uh... May have forgotten to tell you something. I have company over."

He could feel the long tail behind him flick curiously in the small space of his kitchen. "Whaddya mean?" the panther asked, turning away from the coffee machine. He seemed to stiffen a bit, almost imperceptibly, at seeing a red fox in similar state to the rabbit walk out of the guest bedroom and down the hall. In silence, they observed as he went to the bathroom door, smacking his lips with barely opened eyes. He opened it, and took a step inside, shrieks of his name immediately sounding from within and him stumbling out an instant later, wide-eyed and bushy tailed, as the door slammed shut.

Nick was collapsed against the wall, arms spread out to get a firm grip as his heart raced. His eyes were darting to and fro before he calmed down, and he collected himself enough to climb to his feet.

"Wait a minute, is that-" King started, before Dust interrupted with a small "yup".

"Then, the one in the bathroom is-"

"Mhm."

Silence, before a large paw slapped the back of the fox's head. "You're nuts, you know that? But I guess I should make them some now, too, huh?" Before Dust could respond, the panther had turned around and begun making a third cup of coffee.

Aside from the sound of the coffee machine, a quiet settled upon the residence, Dust watching as Judy emerged from the bathroom, looking more awake and slightly groomed compared to before, and Nick entered. She walked over to the kitchen, taking up one of the two stools on the other side of the counter. King slid over an appropriately sized cup of coffee, which she took with a raised eyebrow. After a small sip, her ears stood straight up and her eyes widened, leading both the other mammals to chuckle.

"Good?" Dust asked, smiling faintly at her nod of approval, silenced by small slurpings of the drink. Nick emerged from the bathroom minutes later, taking a seat on the stool beside Judy. Another minute passed before he was given his own coffee, to which his ears rose with curiosity and he took a drink.

His eyes widened immediately as he looked down at the cup. "This is _amazing!_ " he said, before immediately taking a long drink of it. Judy turned to him and giggled at the white that now coated his muzzle, as King did the same. He was making one final cup, for himself.

Dust had nearly emptied his mug around the same time as Nick, and Judy had only had half of hers. The bigger of the two foxes gathered the mugs and rinsed them in the sink before setting them down, taking his seat again as King leaned against the counter, the faint blowing sound he let out telling Dust that he had finished making his cup. The four mammals sat in silence, the rabbit and panther being the only interrupters with their drinking.

Dust could slowly feel the energy go from relaxed, to awkward, to anxious, to tense. He felt his pelt burning beneath the gaze of the officers before him, and he strained to keep his anxiety from taking hold.

 _Don't ask me yet. Don't ask me yet. Don't ask me-_

"So," Judy said.

 _Dammit!_

"So," Dust replied. "Good morning."

The officers let out a faint "good morning" before the tense silence fell back into place. After a moment, the fox looked behind him to the panther. He was dressed in gray sweatpants and a black t-shirt, dark brown eyes examining the room before him carefully. But, due to how his tail was flicking from side to side, he was both curious and nervous about what was going on.

"What should I let them know?" The larger fox asked, drawing the panther's gaze to him.

"Well, I mean, they're cops, so..." Was the response after another drink. Dust took a deep breath and turned back to the two before him.

"Alright. I guess I should start from the top?" he checked, gaze turning downwards at their nods.

"I told you about how we heard rumors of Night Howler trading going on in the underground a while back. I told you we looked into it, because we didn't have enough evidence to warrant the police actually getting involved. I also told you that the reason we couldn't go to the police after compiling enough evidence was because of self-defense that didn't look like self defense. So we got ourselves into a group. We made contacts, and felt we had to take care of this ourselves.

"So, we started finding out who was taking the night howlers from the florists. Then we started stopping them, taking the flowers and leaving them for the ZPD. Eventually, I suppose, you all found out and you two in particular were assigned the case." Judy and Nick both nodded, silently listening. Judy's cup was now empty, so King took it and rinsed it out, before leaving it with his cup in the sink.

"We figured out who Phraxus was through the cougar that gave us so much information. We know that they're a large group, made of mainly predators. Medium and small ones, at that. They have power, muscle, money. They've been gathering Night Howlers, but no one knows what they're for yet. They've clearly figured out who at least I am, since we were shot at, nearly driven off the road, and I'm pretty sure tailed often enough... Things are probably going to start moving very quickly now."

"What do you mean by that?" Judy asked.

Dust was quiet, looking away from them before turning back to the panther behind him. A silent message was passed along, and the panther nodded before walking out the front door, leaving the three of them in silence.

"I mean, we're going to have to actively attack Phraxus soon. The past few days, a contact of mine has been trying to locate their main base and the biggest players. If we can at least find that base, we can get all the information needed."

"And you don't think the ZPD can take it from here?" Judy asked. Dust shook his head.

"Honestly? No. Think about it, if the group is mainly smaller mammals with good training, how can the ZPD hope to stop them? They couldn't even get Bellwether without you two. These guys are a bigger threat, and are only now being noticed. It's not like the mayor is covering up a set of missing mammals cases, either. They're waiting until everything is in place and they can't be stopped to make a real move.

"The only mammals on the force that I can see being remotely helpful, are you two. And even then I didn't want you involved."

"Why not?" Nick asked. "It sounds more like we could've been useful in fighting them," he said. Dust nodded.

"But I hate involving more than need be. But, as it stands, you two are clearly a threat to them now, and you're in this with me. I'm not happy to say it, but... If you want to be, you can be a part of this."

Nick and Judy shared a look, before laughing. Dust leaned back, his ears pulling towards his head a bit.

"You make it sound like we had an option to sit this one out," Nick said. Judy nodded in agreement.

"Massive threat to the city, potentially overwhelming odds, and little chance of success? That's our _specialty,_ " Judy said. She looked over to Nick with a bright smile, which he returned, before looking at Dust with a lazy-eyed smirk. Judy held her joyful expression as she turned back to Dust.

The fox stared at them for a minute, before shaking his head and letting out a single chuckle.

"In that case, until this is over..." He leaned back and spread his arms open. "Welcome to the family."

It wasn't until he leaned back forward, arms resting on the counter that his expression grew serious again. "But, now we have more problems. For example, what's your chief going to say about this?"

His mouth curled into a smile as the two officers' ears both fell against their heads and a wide-eyed, somewhat scared expression grew on their faces, turning to face one another. Even though he didn't share the connection they did, Dust could tell exactly what thought had passed between the two.

 _Bogo._


	15. Coming Clean, Joining Forces

As the chief of police, Chief Bogo had to deal with a lot of problems. Paperwork, politics, and even schedules all ultimately fell on his massive shoulders. And, in all honesty, he loved anything that he could use as a break from it.

Well, almost anything.

Because when his prime officers, Hopps and Wilde, were both well over an hour late to begin their shift, he could already see the pile of paperwork he would need to fill out for them. Except, they weren't alone. They had brought with them another fox, the same one they were after for so long.

Dressed in all black, with a hoodie underneath a lengthy, tattered coat, combat gloves and boots. His paws were held in front of him, the gleam of silver cuffs visible as he was led to the front desk. The normal procedure of frisking him down (they found nothing) and leading him to a holding cell, the fox being silent all the while. Judy and Nick seemed anxious, but the cape buffalo brushed it off as anticipating the buffalo's shouts of their tardiness.

Instead, they had waited until the fox was put into an interrogation room, his coat, hoodie, and gloves now off and carried away to be stored properly. The room he sat in was bare, a single table and three chairs inside. One of the walls held a one-way window, from behind which stood Officers Hopps, Wilde, Delgato, Fangmeyer, and the chief.

Then the long game of trying to get answers from the fox began. He sat at his end of the table, paws folded in the center, blue eyes staring straight ahead as he remained silent to every officer's attempt to question him. Eventually, the officers who were sent inside – Delgato and Fangmeyer – gave up with a heavy sigh and walked out.

"Chief, he won't say anything to us," the white wolf said. Bogo had nodded and crossed his massive arms, snorting in frustration. The group stood in silence, before the cape buffalo let out another snort and made his way to the door. The officers watched in silence as he entered the interrogation room, and took a seat across from the fox.

He looked down at the manilla folder before him, opening it and taking a look at the contents. A picture of him, some medical information, and other documents that told him little more than he already knew. With a breath, he started. "We have you listed as a Robin Wick. Is this correct?"

The fox stared at the buffalo briefly, expression stony as a moment of silence passed. This was the same response he was given, regardless the question asked. But, the fox had finally spoke during one of the buffalo's mini rants. He had been saying how what he had been doing, running around in a hood and trench coat, was something wrong when the fox interrupted him.

"Duster."

The chief took a moment to stare, one of his ears flicking as his head tilted ever so slightly. "What did you say?" he asked.

"It's a duster. Not a trench coat. Trench coats are made of cotton, not oilskin like mine. That makes them tougher, better to combat the elements. The design is also different. Trench coats have built in capes, and dusters have removable ones. The back can be split or whole, it has straps for your legs, and they tend to be longer. Trench coats don't do that, and they normally come with belts."

The entire thing was stated matter-of-factly, and the red mammal looked right at the chief as he said it. "The duster was originally made for ranchers or farmers. Trench coats were-"

"I don't care about the difference between coats," Bogo interrupted. The fox smirked a bit.

"Then maybe I can tell you something you _do_ care about. The safety of the city."

The cape buffalo took a long, calming breath before he rested his arms on the table, feeling it wobble slightly. He tilted his head slightly in a gesture for the fox to continue. It wasn't exactly what the chief needed him to say, but if it got the mammal talking, then he would go with it.

"What if I told you that the Night Howlers are coming back?" the fox asked. "Hence the robberies. And what if I told you I have information on the who? Or that, as we sit here and speak, I'm getting information on the where and why?"

The cape buffalo snorted. "Your proof?" he asked.

"The amount of robbed florists recently. And I can tell you that, the reserves of flowers have been raided too. At least... What, eight of them have been raided in the past week? It's not random, it's not obvious. And I can bet you that it's those precious little flowers that are being stolen.

"Talk to Hopps and Wilde. They can tell you what I'm talking about well enough."

With that, the fox resumed his cold silence, paws clasped firmly in front of him. Bogo gathered up the contents of the folder and rose, walking out of the room. He stared at Judy and Nick once he exited, their anxiety stronger and now understandable. "My office," he growled at them, before stomping away with them in tow.

Maybe he would've been happier just doing the paperwork.

~ óÓÒò ~

It took most of the day, but when Judy and Nick left the Precinct, everything had been sorted out. Dust walked with them, just as he had walked in (Minus the cuffs, of course), and took a deep breath. "Could've been worse," he muttered.

After a long, thorough talk with the chief, Judy and Nick had managed to catch him up to speed with what they had witnessed. From the chases to the games they participated in, they told him everything, as well as their plan to combat Phraxus.

Tomorrow, they would meet with one of Dust's informants and pick up a drive that held all the information they could get on Phraxus, and bring it to the ZPD where it would be combed over. Assuming they learned the members of the group, the ZPD could then coordinate a raid that would lead to the end of the group, and whatever they were planning. The operation should be short and simple, but the officers had convinced Chief Bogo that they needed Dust to pull it all off. And, as a result, he had been released, and his belongings returned to him.

"Your plan was insane," Judy said. "What if we couldn't have convinced the chief to let you go? Or if he didn't go into the room to talk to you?"

Dust shrugged. "In the end, it would all work out."

Nick scoffed slightly. "Do you always just jump in blindly like that?" he asked.

"Oh, please. Between the three of us, we all know I'm not the worst about that," Dust said, looking down at Judy.

"Who, me?" she asked, looking taken aback. "I _never_ jump into things blindly! There's always _some_ thought about it first."

"She understands," Dust said with a chuckle. They were approaching a sleek, white and black car, the panther from that morning behind the wheel. Dust opened the passenger side door and looked back at the officers. "I'll meet you two at my place this evening. We need have to talk later." The officers nodded as he climbed in and waved them off, doing some sort of pawshake with the panther before they took off.

Judy and Nick sighed and looked at one another, a silent grimace being shared before they turned and started walking back inside. There was paperwork to be done.

~ óÓÒò ~

It was late in the evening when the knocks came at Dust's door. After carefully looking through the peephole and undoing his half dozen locks, he opened the door and let in Judy and Nick. They wore casual clothes, and Nick's rusted muscle car sat at in the driveway. In silence, they shut the door behind them and he put the locks back in place, turning and walking to his kitchen.

Nick was in a casual outfit, wearing gray khakis with an old Black Mammoth tank top and a zip-up orange hoodie. Judy was wearing jeans and a navy blue t-shirt with a purple hoodie over it.

Once he'd gotten home, Dust had discarded the majority of his outfit, leaving on his urban camo pants and the black t-shirt he always wore. He walked over to the kitchen and began tending to the skillet on the stove, the smell of fried potatoes and other vegetables filling the air as he turned up the heat a bit.

On his counter sat a wide array of his tools: a lockpicking kit, and a few different practice locks; a manilla folder with three sheets of paper half-open inside, detailing a meeting place, time, and other details; a knife of his, next to a whet stone, the sharply angled tanto point gleaming dangerously.

Judy and Nick took up their seats on the opposite side of the counter, leaving Dust to silently continue his cooking as the faint sound of old rock music drifted from his living room. When he was finished, he divided the dish onto three plates and slid them to the officers, along with forks. He brushed aside the knife and stone, as well as the lockpicking kits. It was useless trying to hide these things from the officers, he felt, and as such they had been left out in plain sight.

The first few bites were in silence, the variety of flavors keeping the hungry mammals quiet. It was a rather simple dish, fried potatoes with peppers, onions, mushrooms, jalapeños, and some seasonings. When Dust was a third of the way through his meal, he finally spoke.

"So, I've gotten this figured out. Tonight, at around midnight, we can meet my contact just outside of Savanna Central." He pointed to the top sheet of the folder, a black and white map of the region being shown with red marker circling an area, and a red line detailing the roads to it. Strangely, the image of an ice pick was set within the red circle. He then shifted the pages, showing a picture of a large vehicle. "We're looking for a newer model four-door off-roader, charcoal colored."

He looked at Nick and Judy, who were silently looking over the pages as they ate. He took a breath and a bite before moving to the final page. "We'll be getting a briefcase that should have what we need. I don't know the contents exactly, just that it's what we're looking for. My contact had to leave before he could finish our conversation."

Nick looked up, a flash of suspicion evident in his eyes. "Had to leave? Why?" he asked.

Dust shrugged. "Said he had to get back to work. He used one of his breaks to call me and forward me these," he said, gesturing to the papers. "We'll need to take your car, Nick," he continued. "Mine's in the shop getting her final upgrades."

Nick's eyebrow raised at this, but he continued chewing the bite of food he had. Judy spoke up instead. "Upgrades?" She asked.

Dust nodded. "Getting a V-8 engine and a new set of tires. Pulling out of that pit maneuver the other day really hurt my old ones."

"Where are you getting this money from?" She asked. Dust averted his gaze slightly.

"A combination of connections, knowing the stock market, saving from my old jobs and buying very little for myself," he said. The officers looked at him, silently asking him to elaborate on a few points there, but he just ate his food in silence. "What'd the chief say about all this?" he asked between bites.

"Well," Nick said. "He wasn't happy, of course. But then, when is he ever?" he laughed a bit. Judy shot him a look of amusement before he shook his head. "He's going to need an aspirin for the headache the paperwork will cause – his words, not mine – but he's agreed to this for now. It took some doing, and we had to look into your claims, but at seeing them and your evidence match up... His argument against you was pretty pointless. Like half of his rants."

Judy snickered at the last bit, making Nick grin. Dust nodded and pursed his lips, looking down. "So he's not just going to throw my ass in jail once this is over?" he checked.

"No one said anything about putting you in jail, but you getting away with all of this is very unlikely," Judy said. Dust nodded again. "Even if you can find a way to clear your actions for most of this, the assaults alone will get you a decade in prison."

There was a long pause, before the taller fox sighed and nodded. "Then I need to prove what I can." Judy nodded, pushing forward her empty plate. Nick was finishing his last bite as he did the same, Dust slowly eating his meal in silence. A shiver went up his spine and he shook his head, shuddering from the cold of his home.

Once he had finished eating, he gathered up the plates and silverware and set them in his dishwasher, before washing his paws in the sink and turning to the officers. He looked at the clock, the hands reading as 9:14 PM.

They had little over two hours to kill before they had to go. He wasn't looking forward to it.

~ óÓÒò ~

"So _that's_ how you make a knife," Nick said, eyes wide as Dust stepped away from the example blade he had. The topics of the night had gone to small talk before Judy brought up the array of swords she had seen on his bedroom walls. And, turns out, she was right – mostly.

The walls of Dust's bedroom were lined with blades of all kinds. From large ones that he could hardly weild properly to one-handed ones that barely passed as a sword, he had a blade of every design. Elegant curves of silver sat beside straight lengths of black steel. But he also had knives, and a great many of them, too. There were ones that passed as simply smaller versions of the swords, to ones clearly designed to be thrown in between the larger blades.

"I come from a family that favors the blade over the bullet," he said, once showing them the room. "Swordfighting is a lost art, for the most part. As is sword smithing, which is my current occupation."

As it turned out, most of the knives on the walls were his own, made in a small forge he frequented in Savanna Square. Some were of simple steel, barely better than a cheap thing you could find at a pawn shop. Others were of a higher quality, folded over many times or made of impressive materials. He was particularly proud of a knife that fit comfortably in the fox's paws.

The metal gleamed dangerously, the design of it reminding them of wood. He said it was made of damascus steel, and one of only three items he'd made from the material. It was curved, like a talon, but the tip of it angled down sharply in a tanto point. The back of it had small ridges to catch other blades, and the handle was fixed with a black polymer grip, grooves just fight for his fingers in place. The end of it had a ring where his index finger sat, letting it twirl around his finger.

"It's called a karambit," he said. "Honestly, it's my favorite kind of blade, but it's best for defense."

He had been careful, though – any weapons on his walls that could've been illegal he had stashed away in his closet. He knew it was pointless to hide his collection, at least all of it, but he wasn't stupid.

Shortly after, Judy had asked how the knife was made, and Dust slowly launched into an explanation of how he had made it.

When he had finished, the clock on his night stand read 11:12. With a quiet gesture to the time, the officers nodded and left his room, getting into Nick's car as Dust gathered his gear. He was out the door and in the back seat in less than five minutes, and the group went on their way.

~ óÓÒò ~

It was pitch black outside when the car pulled into the sandy. The moon was little more than a sliver in the sky, casting just enough light for the foxes to get by. Judy could only see from the small lights in the dashboard, Nick having killed the headlights once they neared their destination. Dust was leaning forward from the back seat, hood and mask up as he stared ahead. Once they had reached a decent point, he told Nick to stop the car, but to not kill the engine. He then exited the car, and began to walk towards what he could see was a large, charcoal colored off-roader.

As he neared the vehicle, the window rolled down, and a flashlight was shone into his face. He instinctively hissed and turned away, raising an arm to block the light.

"Phoenix," he heard.

 _Phoenix? I didn't know we were using callsigns._

This bode ill; if he didn't know the proper callsign, he could end up either seriously injured or dead from this. Couriers containing vital information were known to go to great lengths to ensure the packages were delivered to the right mammal.

He looked up, straining to see past the light before him. All he could see, however, was a hoof and the black sheen of a gun barrel aimed at his head. He needed a response, preferrably sooner rather than later.

 _Better hurry, time's running out._  
 _I know, I know! Shut up and help, won't you?  
I find watching you panic to be more fun.  
Asshat. Phoenix, phoenix... Ice? Snow? Water?_

He took a gulp and tried to steady his racing heart. His coat could stop a bullet, but from this range and angle? There was no chance. Suddenly, a small detail from the map entered his mind.

 _Worth a shot,_ he thought.

"Ice pick," he blurted out.

 _Ice pick? Seriously?  
Did you have anything better? No? Then shut it.  
Fair point._

A moment passed, and the fox continued to brace himself to take a bullet, but it never came. Instead, the light was shut off, and his vision cleared, adapting back to the dark of night. "Show me the watch," the courier said. Dust tilted his head a bit, but lifted up his right arm and pulled back the sleeve to reveal the glowing watch he wore with his outfit. Another moment passed, before the mammal inside the truck grunted and reached away, shoving a black briefcase out the window. Dust caught it and nodded to the driver, who turned out to be a zebra in a brown jacket, before turning and walking back to the car.

"Got it?" Judy asked once he opened the door.

"Yeah, got it," he replied, voice wavering slightly.

"You alright?" Nick asked. Clearly, the interaction and his tone hadn't gone unnoticed by the fox. "You seem a bit shaken up."

"I'm fine," he insisted.

 _You shouldn't be doing that.  
Doing what?  
Telling them you're fine. They should know what happened.  
No point. What's done is done. We got the briefcase, we just need to get home. Make a copy, bring it in tomorrow.  
Should still tell them.  
No._

The drive back was mainly in silence, Nick refusing to turn on the headlights until they were back within the city. "Get us to my place," Dust said, opening the suitcase. Inside, surrounded by a black foam, was a small, silver hard drive. A single white marking of "1 TB" sat, barely legible, in one corner. "It's a hard drive," he said. "I can make a copy of whatever's on it."

"It's evidence," Judy argued. "We should take it right to the Precinct."

"We don't know exactly what's on it," he replied. "If I copy it, we at least have a chance to look at it all. What if it's really a virus? You want that in your system?"

Judy opened her mouth for a retort, before Nick set a paw on her shoulder. "Relax, Carrots. He has a point. Let's get it checked out first, then get everything to the ZPD."

With a huff of irritation, the rabbit muttered an agreement and sat in her seat, pulling out her phone. It seemed that the rest of the drive would be made in silence, which made the sound of an oncoming vehicle all the more alarming. But none of the mammals had a chance to react once they reached the T intersection, a large, armored van slamming into the side of Nick's car.

Dust was thrown to the far side of the back seat, having not put on his seatbelt. Judy let out a scream, alongside Nick, as glass shattered and metal bent, the car being pushed along the road before coming to a stop. Black crept into the edges of Dust's vision as he tried to pull himself from the car door, but it was tugged open and he collapsed backwards onto the cold concrete.

"Get the fox, and the suitcase," he heard. The voice was oddly deep and had a slight echo, and his vision began to swim.

"The rabbit's out cold," came another voice.

"Take her, too," the first said.

"What about the other fox?" A third one spoke.

"He's in terrible shape. Leave him." The echoing voices seemed to blur, only barely able to be made out. Dust lifted his head up to see a ferret in deep blue clothes and a kevlar vest standing over him, pointing to the passenger side door as a jaguar opened the door and pulled out Judy.

With a faint groan, he rolled and reached for his watch. Three turns left, two turns right, the press of a button, and the light blinked a few times.

"Hey, he's doing something," Someone said, before the fox took a kick to the head. The darkness around his vision began to overtake it, leaving a small tunnel for him to see through. The silver suitcase briefly crossed what little he could see, and he reached up a paw to grab it. It was easily tugged from his grasp, and a brown wolf in a deep green beret and a scar over his left eye kneeling over him.

 _I know you,_ Dust realized, eyes widening slightly. With some focus, his vision was slowly clearing, and he could see an olive green shirt under a kevlar vest on the wolf. _I know you._

"Sleep tight, _suka_ ," the wolf growled, before bringing a fist down on his head and sending his vision into an inky blackness.


	16. Show Me Krasnyy

**This chapter was a tricky one to write, and I bumped up the rating from T to M because of it. There is violence, and interrogation. Continue at your own discretion, you've been warned.**

~ óÓÒò ~

" _The rabbit's out cold."_

 _"Take her, too."_

Nick groaned, pain filling his whole body. Glass covered his right side, and he could feel a bruise forming on his hip. His vision was filled with black, save one tiny pinprick of light at the end. He focused, straining to not lose it.

 _"What about the other fox?"_

 _"He's in terrible shape. Leave him."_

Nick turned his head slightly, watching as a jaguar in blue and black opened the passenger side door and pulled out an unconscious Judy.

 _Judy,_ thought the fox. Or did he mutter it? It was hard to tell at the moment. _No, don't take Judy!_

Nick reached out in an attempt to grab her, but his arm didn't respond beyond raising up slightly.

 _"Hey, he's doing something."_

Alarm spread through Nick. Were they talking about him? A faint, pained grunt told him the answer was 'no'. His vision was clearing up slightly, however, letting him see a green and black clothed wolf kneel outside his back passenger door. He growled something inaudible, before bringing a fist down and out of sight.

Nick's mind was racing, trying to formulate a plan on what to do. He tried moving his right arm again, this time feeling it respond better as it lifted. His gaze fell to Judy's phone, sitting in the center of the passenger seat. With a groan of effort, he reached over and tugged it to his paw, flipping over the screen and unlocking the phone. He knew her password, had seen her punch it in countless times, and he immediately went to her camera app. The screen was, somehow, barely even scratched as he set the phone to record, and began trying to lift it to catch his surroundings.

The fox angled the phone over to where the wolf had been, and hoped the video wasn't just catching the now-ruined seat beside him. The wolf was lifting Dust up and dragging him around the wrecked car, the black-clad fox limp and eyes shut. The silver briefcase was in his other paw. The van that had rammed his car came to life with a dull rumble, and he turned the phone to catch video of it as it drove off moments later.

Ending the video, Nick blinked his eyes open more. He tried to sit up, only to feel pain shoot through his side, making him let out a yelp.

 _Help, get help. The police.  
You _are _the police, idiot.  
I'm off-duty,_ he argued with himself, thumb running over the buttons of the phone as he dialed for the paramedics. Feelings beyond pain were starting to enter his mind, and he realized that his left side felt like it was on fire, and the seat beneath him felt warm.

When the operator answered – someone at the ZPD whom Nick never met, nor did he really hear the name – he spoke over them. "This is officer Wilde of the ZPD, my car has been hit. We're on the southern end of Savannah Central, I need medical help."

Nick's voice became slurred partway through the message, and he hoped it had all come out properly. There was something of affirmation said, but Nick couldn't pay attention to it, feeling a bit of cold entering his side. He looked down, and saw the source: glass from his window had been sent into his arm, leg, and side, leading him to have trickles of blood going down his fur and stain his seat.

 _That's not good,_ he thought. He could faintly hear the operator calling his name as his head rested against his arm, the phone slipping from his grasp. The black was beginning to fill his vision again, a final thought going through his head as it overtook him.

 _Don't worry, Judy. I'm gonna come get you._

~ óÓÒò ~

Dust coughed in pain, head bowing as he stared at the ground. He took deep breaths, despite the pain that filled his chest whenever he did so. A small splatter of blood was at his feet – his blood. His left cheek was sore, and he could've sworn a tooth was now loose. His paws were cuffed behind his chair, and he had been stripped of his jackets and other gear, leaving him in just his pants, shirt, and boots.

His surroundings were... Unexpected, to say the least. Not the normal concrete walls one would expect of an interrogation room, but instead a cheap plywood, the kind used as temporary walls during construction. It seemed warped and flimsy from weather damage. The glow of sunlight poked over the walls where they didn't quite meet the ceiling, illuminating the area before him.

In one corner stood a ferret, navy blue and black uniform on as he leaned against a wall, arms folded. He stared on with a grim expression, dark blue eyes briefly meeting the fox's indigo ones. There was a flash of regret, before it was replaced with a somber yet steely determination. His black vest had a small chunk of white text that read "Savannah Central S.W.A.T." over his chest. He wore full black gloves not unlike Dust's, knee pads, and had a small pistol visible in a hip holster. His kevlar vest had multiple pouches, which were empty, and a few rings for grenades of various types.

Dust's gaze was torn away by the sound of a door opening to his left, the brown wolf entering. He wore a simple holster, with a slot for a knife and a pistol, black SWAT plants and an olive green turtle neck shirt covering him. He wore similar black gloves, and the green beret on his head was set at an angle.

"Lucas," he said, voice heavy with an accent that made the fox think of frozen land and vodka.

The ferret looked up sharply, glaring at the wolf. "What do you want?" he asked, poison practically dripping from his words.

"Have they said anything?" The wolf said, gesturing to Dust and Judy. The ferret, Lucas, shook his head.

Dust's eyes widened as he looked to his right. _Judy! Is she alright?_

The rabbit was hunched over in her seat, paws bound behind her back with cuffs and ears hanging limply. Her clothes had various small cuts from glass and a few larger ones from what Dust had assumed was a claw, some small specks of blood visible on her far side. Her eyes were barely open and she was breathing heavily, nose twitching furiously. She cast a glance to Dust, quiet and asking for help or a plan.

 _She's hurt. Cuts, probably bruises. Something might be broken. Scared. Yeah, she's just fine.  
Fuck off or be useful.  
Just told you the state she's in. That's useful.  
Obvious, not useful.  
Alright, fine. Where's your watch? Coat? What do you even have on you?_

Dust looked over himself. Pants and shirt were torn, he had his own set of cuts. Pain was still all over his body, making it painful to move more than a little bit. Each breath was cut short with pain. His watch was absent, likely with his gloves, coat, and the rest of his belongings. When he shifted in his seat, his pockets felt empty.

 _Nothing.  
You set the tracker, right?  
I hope.  
Hold out until they get here._

Dust looked up as the wolf walked forward, a lit cigarette in his mouth.

 _"My snova vstretilis, Krasnyy."_ 'We meet again, Red.'

"Lesnitsky," he growled back. The wolf took out the cigarette and flicked off the ash, and Dust could feel all the eyes in the room on him.

"You know him?" Judy hissed.

Lesnitsky laughed. "Know me? We were practically _brat'ya_ once, brothers. Of course, until this _ublyodok_ turned on me during a courier run."

Dust turned to see the rabbit giving him a questioning look. He sighed, and looked up a bit, meeting gazes with the wolf. _"Yey ne nuzhno znat' eto."_ 'She did not need to know this.'

Lesnitsky laughed, before taking a drag on the cigarette. "Your Russian is still rusty, _Krasnyy_." He blew the smoke into the fox's face, chuckling as he flinched and pulled away from it. "What secrets are you trying to hide from her, then?"

"You shouldn't have tried to deliver that 'package'," Dust spat. "Other mammals are _not_ objects to be sold!"

The wolf crouched down, a threatening growl coming from him as he spoke. "It was the last job for that client, and we were getting enough information to put him in jail as it was. You didn't need to crash the truck and let them out when you did."

Dust growled back, flinching at each bit of smoke that flew into his face when the wolf spoke. The wolf chuckled at his defiance before pulling away, taking out the cigarette and asking a question before putting it back in his muzzle. _"Gde vasha komanda?"_ 'Where is your team?'

 _"Khranenyine krovati vashey materi teplo."_ 'Keeping your mother's bed warm.'

The wolf chuckled and nodded, looking over to Judy. "Very funny, _lisa_." Then he drew the cigarette from his mouth, stepped closer to Dust, and pressed it into his shoulder. Judy gave an audible, sharp intake of breath. The fox let out a yelp and tried pulling away, but the wolf's other paw held him still as he ground the burning end into his fur. The smell of burning fur and flesh drifted over his nose, Dust groaning heavily before the wolf stepped away. Head bowed, he glared up at Lesnitsky, noting that Lucas was averting his gaze.

 _"Davayte poprubuyem eto snova."_ 'Let's try this again,' he said. "Where is your team?"

 _"Poydite sprosite vashu sestru,"_ Dust hissed back. 'Go ask your sister.'

The retaliation this time was a punch to his jaw, sending Dust and his chair to the ground. He coughed and spat out a combination of saliva and blood. Lesnitsky stood over him, growling as he picked up the chair and fox, setting the chair upright before punching the fox in the stomach. The reynard coughed and groaned, leaning forward in his seat as a phone began to ring fromt the wolf's pocket. With a grunt of disapproval, he walked out of the room.

"Are you okay?" Judy asked. Dust looked over at Judy, meeting her worried amethyst gaze before nodding. She nodded slightly and turned to Lucas, staring at him with curiousity and distaste. "You're one of the leaders for the Savannah Central SWAT. Why are you letting this happen?"

Lucas tried to ignore her, but between both her and Dust's gaze, he sighed. "Do you two know what you've gotten into?" he asked. Both nodded, and the ferret shook his head. "I don't think you do. They can get to everyone, at any time. I'm not helping them by choice," he said.

"There's always a choice," Judy argued. "You don't have to help them."

"And let her die?" Lucas hissed. "No. I can't."

"You could help us, instead," Dust said. "We can get her back."

Lucas opened his mouth to respond, but cut himself off as the door opened up again. Dust perked his ears as Lesnitsky walked inside the room and shut the door. He held a combat knife in his paw, running it through his fingers as he looked at Dust and Judy. Ash fell from the re-lit cigarette in his mouth, looking between their captives.

"The boss wants us to hurry up and get the information. We can blow the building when we're done," he said, putting out the cigarette by rubbing it against the knife.

"And leave them in it?" Lucas asked, expression growing slightly surprised at the nod he was given.

 _"Net svideteley,"_ the wolf said. "No witnesses."

Dust looked to his right, Judy's eyes a bit wider and the smell of fear and alarm coming off of her. Lesnitsky caught the smell too, and grinned. "The rabbit is scared," he said. Lucas just grunted, looking away. The fox looked up as Lesnitsky neared him again, holding the knife delicately. _"Ne slishkom pozdno,"_ he said. 'Not too late.' _"Vy mozhete umeret' bystro. Prosto skazhite nam, chto nam nuzhno."_ 'You can die quickly. Just tell us what we need to know.'

 _"Gde zabava v etom?"_ 'Where's the fun in that?' he replied.

The canid nodded, a small, malicious smile on his lips as he lunged forward and punched the fox, making him lean back in pain before his eyes went wide and he let out a cry of pain. The knife Lesnitsky had been holding had cut along his left side, blood welling and staining the chair beneath him. He heard Judy let out a shocked gasp, and heard her wrestle against the pawcuffs that held her to the chair.

The fox grit his teeth and looked up, spitting at the wolf. Red stained the green of his shirt, and the wolf growled again before stepping back and kicking the reynard in his chest, sending his chair falling backwards with a loud crack and a yelp. He let out another yelp of pain, and stared upwards. His arms felt... Looser. He wriggled and writhed, feeling the center pillar of wood on the back of his chair give slightly. A small tug later, and he had freed himself from the chair.

 _Don't give it away yet. Stay down.  
I know, I'm not an idiot.  
Uh-huh, right._

The fox growled as Lesnitsky walked around him, kneeling down to wipe the blade on the smaller canid's pant leg, staining it crimson. He got a good glimpse of the knife, seeing that it was a simple design. Straight, single edged, with a sharp yet curved point that gleamed a pale red in the light.

"Last chance, Red. _Ili, mozhet byt' , my dolzhny sprosit' krolika?"_ 'Or maybe we should ask the rabbit?'

"Don't touch her," he hissed. Lesnitsky laughed and crouched down.

"Or what? Is the real Red gonna come back, finally? It's been a while since we saw him," he said. "I was thinking you'd give by now." Lestnitsky rose and gave the fox a light kick to the side, before walking over to Judy. "Now, are you going to cooperate better than your friend here?" he asked.

"According to you, we aren't leaving one way or another. So do your worst," She hissed back, voice filled with resolve. "You don't scare me."

 _Wait for it..._

"Mm. How unfortunate," The wolf said, twisting the knife around in his grip and raising his arm.

 _Now._

Dust rolled from the chair and pushed himself back with his legs, curling up and bringing his arms down to bring his feet over them. With his arms now on his front, he rushed for Lesnitsky as he brought the knife down to Judy. Her eyes widened, droplets of red meeting her fur and clothes as Dust let out another cry of pain. Fire burned in his side, as a new pain filled one of his arms.

The end of the knife was showing through his left forearm, crimson dripping from it and to the floor as he grunted. Lesnitsky grunted and pulled the knife out, shoving Dust to the floor, leaving him to cradle his arm and groan in pain.

Movement caught the fox's eye, leading him to turn his gaze to the door. It was opened slightly, a familiar black-furred face showing through the crack. He looked over to Lucas, seeing his head turned to stare at the wall, and nodded almost imperceptibly. The panther nodded and shut the door, the wolf's ears perking as a new, unfamiliar smell hit his nose.

"Alright, alright," Dust said. "I'll tell you." Judy looked down at him with wide eyes, hissing for him to stop.

"What you do," he said as he forced himself upright. "Is, you go to the local pharmacy..." He brought himself to his knees. "You ask them for a little somethin' called 'viagra'," he stood up, watching as the brown wolf gave him a confused look. _"And it'll help you go fuck yourself!"_

As if on cue, the wood beside Lucas shattered, a combat gloved fist reaching over and grabbing the ferret before pulling him back through the plywood. The SWAT officer didn't even have time to shout before he had disappeared, making Lesnitsky turn around, hackles raised. Dust took the opportunity to jump for his back making the wolf stumble forward as a massive grizzly bear burst through the door, grabbing the wolf by the head, and slamming him through the wall.

King rushed into the room, grinning as he lifted his a paw and stuck out the middle finger to Dust. He jubilantly returned the gesture, both saying a quick "Fuck you" - their traditional greeting. "Took you long enough," Dust said, taking a step forward before his legs shook and nearly gave way under him.

"Well sorry, but taking out a half dozen SWAT members and about twenty of Phraxus' guys isn't a quick feat," the panther replied, walking over. The black handle of a revolver showed in his hip holster as he kneeled down to the fox, setting a paw on his shoulder. Something jingled on his back, and Dust looked up to see him wearing a black backpack. "You look like hammered shit. Can't tell if they've roughed you up yet or not."

"Feel like it," Dust replied, letting the insult slide. He turned to Judy, who was giving them a dumbfounded look. "Are you good to walk?" he asked.

"I am, but you aren't," she said. King walked behind her and began pulling at the pillar on the chair that held her in place, falling backwards once it gave way in his paws.

The bear walked back in, wiping his nose with a gloved paw. He wore a white tank top with a green windbreaker and blue jeans, a deep grunt sounding as he stepped into the room. "Wolf's down," he said, walking over to Judy and easily snapping the chain links of the pawcuffs.

"Did he make it through the wall?" King asked, grinning more as the bear nodded. "Five bucks for me!" he said, tail flicking in satisfaction as the bear groaned.

Dust chuckled. "Thanks, Li," he said, taking another step forward. He realized his mistake immediately, eyes widening as his legs buckled and he fell to the ground. "Shit, we gotta get you to a hospital," King said, reaching down to lift him to his feet.

"I'm fine," he argued. The panther scoffed.

"'Fine' my ass," he replied. "We're getting you help. You're not doing this again."

Li walked over and picked Dust up by his shirt after breaking his cuffs, the fox being too tired to protest. "Did you at least get my gear?" he asked, giving a soft smile as the panther nodded and pat the backpack he wore. "And the hard drive?" he asked. "It was in the silver suitcase."

"It was empty," Li said as he walked out of the door. Dust cursed and looked around, frowning at seeing the various mammals laying on the floor. Most were facing the ground, paws or hooves behind their backs with their own pawcuffs or several zip ties.

"Don't worry," the panther said, catching up to them. Judy was following after, Li turning around and picking her up to set on his shoulder once she stumbled and let out a pained grunt. "They're just sleeping. No real shots fired."

"Good," Dust said, his vision growing fuzzy.

"Hey, don't you leave us from this," Li said, bumping Dust as he cradled him. He widened his eyes and tried sitting up, but the pain in his side kept him from getting very far. His vision swam slightly, and he looked up at the ceiling, watching it rush past as he was carried away.

"Dust?" Judy asked.

"I'm okay," he replied. Or did he? She called out his name again, but it seemed so distant.

"Mm 'kay... Is just a flsh woond.."

His vision faded to black.


	17. Brief Respite

**I'm going to have to apologize for this right now: After this next chapter, updates will be sporadic, as I've no internet for the time being. That said, I'm also getting a bit of writer's block and conflicting ideas for A New Face in Town, and am going to begin one or two other stories to help focus the ideas and not muddle the stories. ANFiT will still be my priority, however.**

~ óÓÒò ~

Nick groaned and rubbed his sore side, cursing the white gauze bandages that were taped to his fur. He was sat in a white hospital bed, waiting for the discharge papers to be released from the hospital. The sun was low on the horizon, the day almost having completely gone by as he was tended to by nurses.

After having passed out in his car, Nick had awoken to find himself being bandaged by a doe in a white gown. She informed him that he had been taken to the hospital and given an IV to help him from losing too much blood as they removed the shards of glass from his skin. Afterwords, he had been kept for several hours while Chief Bogo organized search teams and had a team analyze the video that Nick had taken the night before.

The footage was dimly lit, and hard to see much, but it was evident that a wolf sporting a green shirt and black vest had been outside his car at one point. The van that drove past bore the markings, size, and design of a SWAT vehicle from Savannah Central. The audio was also rather clear, and Bogo was surprised to hear the voice of Lucas from the same district's SWAT saying to take Judy and leave Nick in the car.

"This doesn't add up," the cape buffalo muttered, Nick nodding in agreement when they had watched the video. It was reviewed several times after that, before the chief left the fox alone in his bed with promises to return with word of his dismissal and word of where Judy was. In the meantime, Nick occupied himself by counting the ceiling tiles, staring out the window to watch cars go past, or count the beeps the hospital equipment gave off. Multiple times he lost track and had to start over, before switching to a different 'activity'. It was the best way he could avoid his anxiety over his friend.

This was until a jubilant shriek of his name sounded from the hallway, and he suddenly found his vision to be filled with gray fur. "Well hello there, Fluff," he muttered through Judy's arm, his own finding their way around her. Relief flooded him as he felt her squeeze him closely, before letting go and boucing back a step with a wide smile.

The state of her concerned him, however. Her clothes were torn, and white bandages were visible beneath the holes, as well as a square gauze pad that was stuck to her left cheek. Frowning as his ears fell, Nick set a paw on her head. "What happened to you?" he asked, the frown growing deeper as she looked away from him slightly.

He listened in silence as she explained about her and Dust waking in the makeshift interrogation room, the words exchanged that she understood, and how they managed to get out. The timing of the panther and bear's arrival nagged at him, but he was still relieved that Judy had been the least hurt of them all.

"So, where is our friendly neighborhood vigilante?" he asked.

Chief Bogo stepped into the room, holding a manilla folder in one hoof as he stared at the two. "Your friend Robin is currently in the O.R.," he said. "Given the damage he sustained, he'll likely be here for several days."

"Indeed," came another voice, a beaver walking into the room behind the chief. He was dressed in a white lab coat and matching pants, a clipboard in his grasp as he pored over it. "Significant blood loss, a cracked rib, a second degree burn, among others... We'll need to keep him overnight at the very least." The beaver looked up to the officers before him, holding out a free paw. "Doctor Woodsworth," he said, grinning as Judy and Nick shook it. "A pleasure to finally meet you both, officers. But I regret it being in these circumstances. Thankfully," he said, lifting several sheets of paper off the clipboard, "You're both essentially free to go.

"Officer Hopps, you just need to rest your leg for a day or so to keep the brusing down. Officer Wilde, the same goes for you, as you need to recover some of your lost blood and give your body time to properly heal those cuts." He looked up to the chief. "I trust you'll enforce this, sir?"

"Of course," Bogo snorted. "I know when to tell my officers to rest." He then followed up with a small grumble that Nick couldn't catch, but it made Judy's ears perk and brought a smile to her face, and thus his.

"Very well then. I hope to see you again soon – preferrably outside the hospital," the beaver said, before nodding a goodbye and walking out into the hallway. Judy then looked up to Nick and gently punched his arm – thankfully, she stood on his uninjured side.

"Well, come on, Slick! We need to get back to work!" She said, starting to walk from the room.

"Not so fast, Hopps," the chief said, stopping her in her tracks. She turned around with ears raised, looking at the massive buffalo curiously. "You two are coming with me to the Precinct to get this mess sorted out, not back into the field," he stated. Her nose twitched with something that could pass for confusion. "I need to know more about what you witnessed in that room. And you," he said, turning and pointing to Nick. "Need to come review the footage with us again. We may have something of lead." With that, the mammal turned and started stomping out of the room, leaving Judy and Nick to follow.

"Sir, what about Du- er, Robin?" Judy asked, following after.

"Officers Trunkaby and Rhinowitz will watch over him until we're done. If he's conscious in time, we'll come back and speak with him about what happened. As it is, we've secured the building where you two were held – an old aparment building that was in the middle of being renovated before it was condemned for demolition. The mammals we found there are in the holding cells now." The buffalo didn't bother turning around as he nodded to the receptionist on his way out. "We are missing Lucas, the wolf, and several others though. They may have woken up and fled before we arrived on the scene."

Nick nodded grimly and kept to Judy's side, paws in his pockets as he squinted against the late afternoon sun as they exited the hospital and began walking for the chief's cruiser.

~ óÓÒò ~

The ride back to the precinct had been mostly in silence, with the only real interruption being the crackling of the radio as various reports flowed to and from the ZPD. Nick was on the far side of the passenger side door, Judy beside him, as the seat was large enough for the both of them. Nick had insisted on sitting on the outside of the seat, the memory of last night's crash still fresh in his mind. The idea of Judy being hurt, even as little as it was compared to himself and Dust, filled him with anxiety. As it was, it took a great deal of effort to not take the little rabbit and hold her in a protective embrace.

His dreams – or rather, nightmares – last night were partly to blame; they were filled with amethyst eyes devoid of their spark, and a limp gray form. The nightmares had woken him on several occasions as he rested, and was part of why he had turned his mind to such monotonous tasks for distraction.

It was a relief when they did reach their destination, though the drop from the cruiser to the ground was less than kind to the fox, his leg and side burning with pain as he hit the ground from over a foot up. Judy had jumped down to help him up, and the reynard gave her a small smile of thanks in return. Bogo held open the doors as they went inside and to the tech team assigned to review the video Nick had taken with Judy's phone.

The video had yielded no new information. It was too dark to see the license plate or any distinguishing features of the van, save the "Savannah Central SWAT" on the side. The 'lead' Bogo had mentioned had turned out to be a lack of information on a brown wolf in that particular district's SWAT roster.

"We've contacted the training center," one of the technical team members said, a cougar with hazel eyes. "They say that the only brown wolf they've received in over a year was sent to Tundratown." This caused the team to begin a search for where the wolf had come from, in hopes of uncovering more on his identity.

After a half hour with the team, the three left for Bogo's office.

Nick and Judy both relayed their retrieval of Dust's package, but the fox fell silent after telling their chief about the car wreck. He remained quiet, a somber expression on his face, as Judy began to briefly detail the 'interrogation' she and Dust had undergone. It nagged at him that the other fox and wolf had spoken in a different language frequently enough to confuse Judy, but he kept himself from voicing this until she was done.

In the end, the chief was staring down at the two smaller officers with his hooves pressed together. He took a massive sigh, pinching his nose as he leaned back. "So we need to talk to the fox," he groaned. "Very well. We'll wait until tomorrow, and go see him first thing in the morning. You two are dismissed – go home, rest up. But try to take it easy. I don't need the doctors hounding me, too."

Nick and Judy nodded and hopped down from the chair, quietly walking out of the office.

~ óÓÒò ~

Nick opened the door to his aparment and yawned, stepping inside. The walk back had been one filled with silence, a thick air of something unidentifiable hanging between him and Judy as they walked. The only real talk they had made on the way was to decide that it would be best for Judy to come to Nick's for the night, so they could help one another with their injuries.

Flopping onto the couch, the fox reached out for his remote and turned on the TV, beginning to flip through the channels with an already bored expression. Judy sat on the other end, curling up with a pillow as she looked outside. A small drizzle of rain pattered against the window, the clouds having only broken once both mammals were safely inside the apartment building.

"Hey, Carrots?" Nick said, looking up at her out of the corner of his eyes. A faint, curious grunt was her response. "You hungry? Thirsty? Anything?" he asked. He frowned at her shrug, slowly sitting himself upright with a hiss from the pain his cuts caused. He wasn't entirely concerned, as this was how she reacted when she was in deep thought. "What'cha thinking about?"

She was silent for a moment, before turning to him. "Everything," she said. "About this case. Phraxus. Dust, you, me. What we've already been through, what we could still go through."

Nick nodded in understanding. He had been avoiding those very thoughts, among others, when he was alone in the hospital, and as much as he dreaded thinking of them now, he felt that Judy needed to. "What about it all?" he asked.

Judy turned back to the window, quiet for another moment. "This is all so weird," she stated. "We were really just doing patrol with a side objective not that long ago. Now we're having members of SWAT trying to take us out. And we still don't really know what Phraxus wants," she said. Her gaze turned back on Nick. "And I can't shake this feeling of guilt. Lucas said they had taken someone from him, and now Dust is in the hospital. Half a dozen members of the Savannah Central SWAT are in custody, and so are nearly twenty other mammals from this one event."

"Why do you feel guilty?" Nick asked, his head tilting. "None of that was really your fault."

"It's different for all of them," she said. "I feel guilty for Lucas, because we didn't stop Phraxus before now. Same with the other SWAT members, and maybe the others as well. The wolf, Lesnitsky, I feel guilty for him having to do all this."

"And Dust?" Nick asked.

"He stopped a knife for me," she said. "Lesnitsky was going to stab me in the shoulder, but he took it in his arm instead."

Nick nodded, understanding. Judy was feeling guilty for not being able to stop unfortunate events from happening, despite what was happening to herself now. He reached out, placing a paw on her arm, as she had done to him little over a year ago. A small speech was forming in his mind.

"Judy," he started. "You aren't the cause for all of these things. And there's no way you could've known these things would've happened to prevent them. You said it yourself, life is messy. That's why the world needs good cops like you and me – to help clean it up. I mean, we might not always win, but we just need to give it our all, and hope for the best. Because, in the end, if we've given all we've got, no one could've asked more from us, right? We did the absolute best we could. That's what matters."

Nick pursed his lips, hoping he had said something right. He wasn't one for speeches – that was Judy's thing. He also wasn't one for emotions – that was also her thing. But from the way Judy's ears had risen when he was talking, and a small light had begun showing in her eyes, he assumed he had done something right. The rabbit turned and stared at Nick for a moment, before releasing the pillow and flinging herself to him in a fierce hug. The reynard let out a yelp of shock and slight pain before returning the gesture, laying there for a moment before snickering.

"You know, you're proving my point about bunnies being emotional," he jabbed, giving her a smirk. She didn't raise her head, though, instead just holding him in the hug even longer and muttering "Dumb fox" into his chest. Nick's tail twitched, slightly anxious as the embrace lasted longer than expected. "Hey, uh, Fluff? While I'm not exactly saying I dislike your hugs, can you uh... Let go now?"

Nothing. The fox tried pushing on the bunny a bit to get her to let go, but it only served for her grip to tighten. "Carrots? Fluff? Officer Toot-Toot?" he said, voice filling with a bit of worry. "Carrots, please let go."

Silence.

"Carrots?"

~ óÓÒò ~

Nick watched as Dust stared at the group before him with tired eyes. Chief Bogo, Nick, and Judy were all standing before him in his medical bed and awaiting a response from the question he didn't seem to heard. "What?" he asked, head tilting.

"You told the wolf to ask his sister where your team was?" the chief asked, snorting once the fox nodded.

"Then took a knife for Judy. Then told him to go eff himself, and you know what happened," he said simply. "Can I get my phone now?"

"When we're done," the chief said. Dust rolled his eyes.

"Far as I'm concerned, we are done. I told you exactly what happened, now get me my phone. I need to make a call. We have to find that hard drive." Dust stared at the group with an imploring look. This seemed to work after a minute, the buffalo giving a distasteful expression as he walked out of the room. Several minutes later, he re-entered with Doctor Woodsworth in tow, holding a large bag that held the majority of the fox's items, and dropped it on the fox's bed. Dust immediately opened it up and began rummaging through until he found his phone, punching in a number and holding it to his ear. It took a moment, but he eventually began talking to his contact – Frost, it seemed – and was asking if they could track the hard drive.

Nick and Judy stood at either side of their chief, the air between them feeling awkward. Judy had refused to let go of Nick the night before, up until she and him had both fallen asleep on the couch and woken up in essentially the same position. The resulting morning routine was riddled with awkward attempts at not bumping into one another, more apologies than a moose could give, and a series of conversations that went absolutely nowhere.

Nick's ears raised, alongside his eyebrows, at seeing Dust's eyes widen a bit. His ears, for the first time since they had met, were beginning to press against his head, and his fur was rising. The fox was silent for a good amount of time, before he took a deep breath and ended the call, staring at the phone.

"Is everything alright, Mr. Wick?" The chief asked, the tone in his voice betraying the sincerity he tried to give. The other reynard nodded slowly, before shaking his head and staring up at them. His ears now stood erect on his head, eyes focused.

"I need to leave the hospital," he said.

"I'm afraid we can't allow that," the doctor said immediately. "You've only just recovered from your blood loss, and your cracked rib will take days to heal, not to mention your stitches -"

"I _need_ to leave the hospital," Dust said, tone falling to a growl. "This isn't a want, or a suggestion, or a question. It's a necessity."

"And so is your resting here until we feel you can be dismissed," argued the beaver.

"Why do you think you need to leave?" Nick asked. His tail twitched with curiousity.

"They know I'm here," he said.

"They?" Chief Bogo asked.

"Phraxus," Dust replied. "The group that infiltrated the Savannah Central SWAT, has been stealing Night Howlers, and-" Judy hissed, making Dust pause mid-sentance. "Did you just hiss at me?" he asked, before shaking his head and pointing at the chief. "You. You can get me cleared from the hospital, I know you can. I need you to. I can't stay here."

Chief Bogo looked taken aback, and Nick scoffed. Doctor Woodsworth turned around and looked at the buffalo for his own support. "Sir, please explain to him how he cannot leave yet. It's important for his health that he stay-"

"Where are the papers?" Bogo said. He looked down to the doctor, who held his clipboard to his chest. "The discharge papers. I want to see them," the chief said. The beaver took a breath, about to reply, before clearly thinking better of it and walking from the room. The cape buffalo then looked at both Nick and Judy. "Before the doctor comes back, give me your inputs. You know this fox better than I do."

Nick looked closely at Dust. He had a gauze pad on one cheek, and a wrap around his forearm and side, as well as his shoulder, visible under the hospital gown. His IVs had already been taken out of his arm, just before their arrival. His eyes were filled with fire and determination, yet it was tempered with clear exhaustion. The air he gave off, however, was one of urgency and spiked with fear. "I think," Nick said, thinking carefully about his judgement. "That he has a very good reason to demand leaving."

The chief looked at him, expecting more, but Nick was still thinking. "I think he can leave," Judy said. " _If_ he takes it easy, like us."

The chief grunted in acceptance, standing upright. "I think Carrots has the right idea," Nick said, looking up to see Chief Bogo nod.

"Then we'll let you go _if_ you take it easy, like these two say," the buffalo said, staring down at the bandaged fox. He stared back with a bit of defiance, before nodding in agreement.

"I'll do my best," he said as the doctor walked back in.

"Sir, I really do think this is a bad idea," the beaver said, holding up the papers for the chief. Nick watched as Bogo took the clipboard and examined the papers, before scribbling away with a pen in several places and handing it back. The doctor let out a frustrated sigh, before turning to Dust. "Please, please just rest for a few days? And come back in a week or sooner if something happens? A popped stitch, chest pain, anything."

"No promises," Dust said, smiling innocently as the doctor muttered something in defeat before turning and walking away. His expression then fell to one of gratitude as he looked over at Nick and Judy. "Thanks," he said, slowly sliding to the ground. He hissed and clutched his side as he stood up, reaching up to take the bag he had been given and drag it down. It collapsed at his feet with a thump, and he immediately began rummaging around for his clothes. He found them and gave a satisfied nod, shuffling for the bathroom.

He emerged several minutes later, dressed back in his outfit from the previous night. He groaned and rubbed his shoulder with a small hiss, before gathering the rest of his items from the bag. The officers watched on in silence, until he looked around with a sigh and nodded. "Ready," he said.

Nick pursed his lips and turned around, walking on one side of Dust as Judy did the same, the chief leading them outside. When they reached the cape buffalo's cruiser, he paused and turned around. Nick and Judy both turned to keep watch on Dust, who had started looking up at Chief Bogo.

"I'm assuming you're about to tell me that I need to come back to the precinct to tell you what happened?" he said, sighing softly and nodding at the affirmative grunt he was given. "Alright. Lead on."

The four quietly climbed inside of the car, and the ride back to the ZPD being in absolute silence.

~ óÓÒò ~

The remainder of the day had been entirely monotonous. Dust had simply filled in the dialogue that Judy didn't understand, and offered little on the backstory of Lesnitsky.

"He was a courier with me when we were younger. Delivered packagaes of all kinds, sizes, and... Contents. I guess he was working with the police to nail this one customer down, but left me out of it. I took matters into my own paws, and what resulted tore us apart. It was the last run we ever did," Dust said. His tone was somber, but there was no hint of regret in it.

In the end, Nick and Judy had been ordered to take Dust home. A warrant to search Lucas's home would be retrieved within the next day or so, leaving the officers and vigilante just enough time to rest. They were given a simple, black car to use, as a cruiser would draw too much attention. Or, at least, that was what Dust said. But when they pulled into the driveway, he didn't get out.

"I need you two to come back tonight," he said. When given a questioning look by both Judy and Nick, he looked out the window. "It'll take too long to get a warrant and search Lucas's place. Phraxus could easily get it by then. We need to get it tonight." The sense of urgency in the reynard's voice was somewhat alerting, but at the same time, the constant pain in Nick's left half told him he needed to rest.

Judy, however, simple nodded. "If they already knew you were in the hospital, they could already be on their way to get it," she said. "There's no guaruntee that it's with Lucas, either, but..." She looked to Nick.

He just stared back, wanting to argue with her and tell her that it was a bad idea. They all needed rest, and that the warrant would likely be served tomorrow. A few more hours shouldn't hurt, he could argue. But, in the back of his mind, he thought of all the hunches Dust had had so far that had been correct. Judy supported him with this decision, it was clear. And, as much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn't tell her no. Any other mammal would be shot down right now, but the way Judy stared at him with her large amethyst eyes, both expectant and hopeful, melted him a bit.

Something within Nick stirred, and he forced it down to think about later. He sighed, and nodded. "Do you even know where he lives?" he asked.

"Savannah Central, an apartment complex towards the east. Near the top floor," Dust replied. Nick groaned.

"You're going to go with or without us, aren't you?" he asked, chuckling as Dust nodded. His stubborn nature almost rivaled Judy's when she wanted. "Then, the least we can do is make sure you get back in one piece," he said. "We'll be back around eleven."

Dust nodded a thank you, and left the vehicle. Nick turned to Judy, who was smiling, before quietly pulling out of the driveway and turning onto the street. "Thank you, Nick," she said.

"Of course, Carrots. Besides, who could resist you and those cute eyes of yours?"

The punch she delivered made the fox very glad she sat on his good side.


	18. Breaking and Entering

Dust rubbed his cheek through the black mask he wore, wincing slightly as his fingers brushed over the area where Lesnitsky had punched him. The gauze was removed from his cheek, as was the remaining bandages from the hospital. He felt that they limited his mobility, and any white that somehow poked through his black clothes, it would easily give away his position.

"So, how long should we wait for you?" Nick asked, driving the car through the darkened streets of Savannah Central.

Dust sat in the back seat, his arms folded as he stared ahead between the fox and rabbit before him. "Fifteen minutes. Lucas lives on the third floor from the top, but I'll need an alternative way into his apartment – he's a SWAT commander. No doubt has some security systems in place on the doors."

"So, what's your plan?" Judy asked, looking back at the masked fox.

"He's what, seven stories up? Who would put alarms on a window with no fire escape," came the response, a smirk hidden under the darkened cloth.

"And if he's awake?" Nick asked curiously.

"Depends on where he is, how awake, how alert, armed, whatever. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it."

"Right," Nick said, seemingly unconvinced. Beneath his hood, Dust's ears flicked in annoyance.

 _They doubt you.  
Don't blame them,_ he thought. _Breaking into the home of a SWAT officer isn't exactly easy. Or smart. Or sane._ He chuckled softly.

"We're here," Nick broke into the other fox's thoughts. "Fifteen starts now?"

Dust nodded. "Stay out of the lights. I'll text you once I'm on the way out."

And with that, the fox climbed out of the black car, looking at the tinted windows reassuringly – or, at least, as reassuringly as his neutral gaze could. A soft pop sounded from the back of the vehicle as he walked around, reaching inside to grab a small rappelling device he had fashioned earlier that day.

It was based on a tri-pod, a lengthy rope tied to a small weight coiled up at the top. Once released, the rope would unravel, the weight keeping it in place long enough for it to be used by a smaller mammal. The base of the device would have to have its own added weights – it was a sacrifice that had to be made for such a small mammal to transport it. Hopefully there would be rocks or something usable on the roof of the apartment.

Hefting the tool over his shoulder, he looked across the silent street, before glancing at the thin wedge of moon in the sky, noting its almost imperceptible descent to the horizon. Dipping lower to the ground, he sprinted across the street, pushing into the lobby of the apartment. A bear was asleep at the desk, a magazine set on his stomach. _One less problem to deal with,_ the fox thought, looking around for cameras – only one seemed to be in the lobby, lazily moving from side to side. He was about to rush forward again when he looked up, a gut feeling stopping him just in time – a second camera lay above him.

Giving a silent curse, he crouched down and watched the cameras go along their programmed paths. They turned in sync, leaving very little room for the fox to move around without being detected.

He cast a glance at his watch, the red circle emitting a faint countdown: 13:42, and decreasing. Casting one more glance at the cameras, the fox pressed himself to the wall, careful to not bump it with his tools, and began to shift along to the stairwell.

The cameras continued their dutiful monitoring of the lobby, their faint mechanical whirring filling the otherwise silent room, only to have it broken by the sound of a door shutting as the fox darted through his exit, the camera turning his way picking up little more than a shadow beyond the door's threshold.

Another glance to the watch told Dust he had 11:58 left to do this mission. The sprint up the stairs was taxing, leaving the small mammal almost breathless as he pushed open the door to the roof, timing it so the top camera had no sight of him as he went on. The cold night air brushed against what little fur was exposed on him as he got his bearings, causing him to let out a small sigh of relief.

It was short-lived, however, as he moved towards the side of the building, dropping the rig to the ground as he looked around. Some random, broken bricks, a few rocks, but nothing completely solid for the item to use. With a hiss of annoyance, the red fox began setting up the device, using whatever he could get his paws on to weigh it down.

Another glance at the watch – 8:36.

Reaching onto the toolbelt of his backpack, Dust moved to the edge of the roof, dropping down the weight and rope. It was just barely long enough, stopping not far above the ground, leaving him roughly a story drop. He could deal with that; he'd had worse falls and scrapes.

 _Like a knife to the side and arm. Or that time a SWAT van rammed the car I was in,_ he thought bitterly.

If not for that, this whole situation could've been avoided. But of course, once he and his team had emerged from the shadows, Phraxus was out for their blood – getting some of Zootopia's finest cops out of the way was just an added bonus, hence the multiple attempts on the officers waiting below.

Dust clipped the small repelling tool he had made and checked to be sure it was tied to his belt properly. It was a small winch, operated off a set of 9-volt batteries that had just enough power to raise and lower the fox. After making sure it, and he, was secure, he stepped off the rooftop and made his descent to the window he needed.

The rope didn't fall right in front of the window – that would make it far too obvious to anyone who might be looking out their window above or below him that something was off. No, instead it was set off to the side, between two apartments. With careful precision, the fox shoved himself to one side of the rope, the momentum from the swing to latch onto the windowsill he needed.

 _Great,_ he thought, looking at the watch again. 8:03.

Drawing out a small crowbar, the fox forced the straighter end in the space between the window and its frame. He pressed down against it a few times, adding more of his weight each time, until his entrance began to slowly creak open. Once the opening was just large enough, a short ascent and swing inward later, and the fox was crouched down in the living room of Lucas's apartment.

Dust took a careful look around. The apartment didn't seem to be anything special. The usual appliances were there, if not somewhat higher-end than most. A game station and DVD player sat beneath a TV set, the large flatscreen looming over most of the wall. The walls were fairly bare, the majority of the white space being a blank canvas. A large, forest green couch sat between the wall with the TV, a counter separating it from the kitchen, an island keeping the room from feeling too empty. The hallway just beside the kitchen had three doors to it, each one closed.

 _If I were an illegal piece of evidence, where would I –  
Keep it close to me at all times. The bedroom.  
Worth a try._

Dust looked around briefly for any obvious security measures, before heading down the hallway, keeping himself as quiet as possible, before glancing at the watch again.

7:14.

The masked fox looked in each room he passed. The first one to the left was just a simple bathroom, with all the normal fixtures. White towels, a light blue curtain blocking the shower, and nothing of any interest to the fox.

The next room, the first to the right, was a guest bedroom – a typical fancy quilt with matching throw pillows covering a bed just right for any medium-sized mammal who might be staying over. But nothing of interest to the fox, yet again.

The second door to the right was a simple closet – ferret sized coats hung above various cleaning supplies, spare blankets, and other random items, including a toolbox. Dust searched through the clothes, finding little more than spare change.

 _That just leaves door number four,_ Dust thought, slowly turning the door handle. Once the door gave way, he peered in, letting his natural night vision help him see the inside of the room.

A small form lay in the bed, a cream comforter showing a bulge on one side of the bed, a slow yet steady rising and falling showing the occupant to be asleep. The walls in this room weren't quite as bare as the rest, a smaller TV resting to the right, beside a wooden dresser. The walls had several pictures of Lucas from various stages of his life – a date with a finely dressed white rabbit, his graduation from both the academy and school, a few from his youth. A wooden nightstand was to the left of the bed, a lamp resting atop it. The dark blue ceramic was nearly invisible against the wall, papers littering its base, some spilling onto the floor. A small sword sat in a corner, the black sheathe gleaming from the moonlight. Given the small curve and elegant design of the handle and sheathe, it appeared to be a nodachi – the right size to be a full on sword for a smaller mammal.

Slipping in silently, Dust lowered himself to the ground to peer under the bed – a few boxes. The gloved paw reached under and silently slid out one of several, prying it open. Inside was several sets of clothes – hoodies, shirts, pants, a pair of shorts - the pockets of which were all empty.

The second box was filled with blankets.

 _Nothing special here,_ Dust thought. _These boxes all seem like they haven't been touched in ages._

A brief moment of sliding the boxes into place later, and Dust was crouching as he shifted around the room. There was no closet, as far as he could see.

Moving over to the dresser, Dust began rifling through the clothes, briefly patting them down in hopes of finding his hard drive. After going through the last drawer, he checked the watch again – 5:38.

 _It HAS to be here, somewhere..._

Dust began feeling a knot in his stomach as he looked around, finding little else he could search through, until his eyes fell onto the nightstand, a small, golden lock on the drawer catching his eye.

 _Bingo,_ he thought. The fox made his way over to the nightstand, pausing to shift around the papers so he wouldn't step on them as he tugged the drawer lightly. It didn't budge. Giving a silent hiss, he drew out a small lockpicking kit from one of his pant pockets, and went to work. Less than ten seconds later, a nearly inaudible click sounded from the lock. Dust looked to his right – Lucas was fast asleep and facing away from him, his white nightshirt rising and falling with him as he breathed. Despite his clear slumber, the feeling of unease within Dust grew.

 _Good,_ he thought. _Stay just like that, and there's no problems.  
Murphy's Law.  
You're going to jinx me.  
Right, because you need so much help with screwing yourself over._

The black-clad fox tugged out the drawer, carefully examining its contents until he saw what he needed – a small silver hard drive. He reached out and grabbed it, freezing with widening eyes as he heard metal sliding against metal – a gun being loaded.

"Freeze."

Blood running cold, Dust froze in place. A glance out of the corner of his eyes told him that Lucas hadn't been as fast asleep as he'd thought, and he was now holding a black gun to the side of the fox's head.

"On the ground, now." Lucas demanded, the ferret's eyes being wide and alert. Dust complied slowly, keeping his gaze on the ferret as he began to lower himself.

 _Oh, Lucas... You've got the gun way too close to me. You're stood in an awkward position, and you don't have your cuffs.  
He should know better.  
You'd think so, wouldn't you?But the biggest mistake..._

Lucas shifted off the bed, keeping the gun against Dust as he reached for something out of sight. The fox kept quiet as he placed his paws behind his back, as if waiting to be cuffed. There was a brief pause before he felt the metal barrel shift away from his head.

 _You're in a pitch black room with a fox._

Dust rolled around, a paw smacking Lucas's as he scrambled to his feet. The gun was still being directed back to him once he plucked the hard drive from where it sat in the drawer, sliding it into a pocket as he leaped over the bed. Shots rang out, and the tip of his tail began to burn as he dropped to the ground on all fours, pushing himself towards the doorway. Pain shot through his side, the cut Lesnitsky gave him burning.

His opponent was on him in almost an instant. Dust grunted and pushed for the wall, hearing Lucas grunt as he was smashed against it. Dust rammed his back into the wall a few more times, until the ferret loosened its grip on his back, leaving him free to scramble for the door. More shots rang out, wood from the door splintering as he ducked out of the room.

Dust looked at the watch, wincing as a bullet went past his shoulder. 4:13. He had a small window to knock out his foe.

Diving over the couch, Dust reached under his coat and took hold of his baton. He held the rubberized grip firmly as he peered over the dark green cushioning, ducking down as he saw Lucas rushing at him with both the gun, and something else in his grip.

One more shot went out, the round blowing through the couch and clipping his side, catching just under his coat. With a hiss, Dust set a paw on the area he'd been hit, looking down for blood, before looking up to see that Lucas was much closer now, gun aimed at him from a safer distance. The two began to stare each other down, one indigo gaze meeting the others icy blue.

Dust continued staring as Lucas pushed the gun slightly closer to him. "Give me the hard drive, and you live," he demanded.

Dust was silent, and still.

"Now! Give me the damned hard drive!"

More silence. Lucas's eyes twitched, full of emotions that drew curiosity from the fox. Anger, fear, worry were the prominent ones. The masked fox risked a look back to the bedroom, the photo of Lucas with the white rabbit being the only visible thing from his position. Wheels churned in his head.

"Who is she?" he asked, finding satisfaction in Lucas's slightly startled expression.

"The rabbit. Who is she?"

Lucas glared at him. "Give. Me. The hard drive." His voice was seeping with anger and urgency.

"She's your girlfriend, isn't she? The one they took to get to you?"

Lucas flinched. "Now!"

"Why do you need the drive?"

"Shut up and give it to me!" Lucas was becoming restless, the gun shaking slightly as his knuckles gripped it tightly.

"They took her to get you to help them, right? So they could stop us?"

"Give me the drive!" Lucas shot to Dust's side, as a warning, before pointing it at the fox's forehead. Dust flinched, his ears pressing against his head lightly.

"Who took her?" he asked, trying desperately to ignore the new pain in his right side.

Lucas growled menacingly, aiming lower and pulling the trigger to shoot between Dust's legs. The fox flinched again, feeling the carpeting rise up lightly. Lucas aimed at his head again. "You have five seconds," he hissed. Dust flicked his tail, staring at the ferret with an icy calm gaze, letting the seconds tick away, until the trigger was pulled.

 _Click._

No bullets sprang from the barrel. Lucas's eye twitched as he pulled the trigger again.

 _Click._

And again.

 _Click. Click. Click._

"You're out," Dust said, rising from his crouched position. "And, so am I." He turned and rushed for the door, turning the locks to yank it open. The wood let out a horrid splintering sound as pain shot through the fox's side above his new gunshot wound, making him look back. In the brief moment he'd taken his eyes off Lucas, the ferret had drawn out the sword from his bedroom and driven it into the doorway, almost cutting through the fox.

With a grunt, he lifted a booted foot and kicked the smaller opponent, watching him sprawl along the ground as the blade was wrenched free. Flinging open the door, Dust sprinted into the hallway, ignoring the surprised looks some of the officer's neighbors gave him. The gunshots had most likely woken them, Dust realized. There was a brief scream of shock, causing the masked intruder to look back, spotting the smaller mammal racing towards him with the nodachi in paw.

With a flick of the wrist and a satisfying clacking sound, Dust's collapsible baton extended out. He turned to face the ferret as he neared the stairwell, backhanding his weapon against the blade once it was in reach and forcing it away, before pressing both ends against his paws to collapse it again, sliding it into its sheathe. The momentum tripped up his foe, making him fall to the ground, buying the fox just enough time to move into the stairwell and sprint upwards.

The sound of small feet slamming against the concrete behind him let him know the SWAT officer wasn't giving up on him. Pushing onto the roof, he slammed the door shut, taking a step back as part of it gave way with a terrible screech to the lethal metal of the sword. The hooded fox turned and sprinted for his rig, drawing out the small tool he'd used to descend earlier. Without so much as a second thought, the fox skid to a stop and clipped the tool to both the rope and his belt, looking back once as the ferret flung open the door and raced towards him, a look of desperation in his eyes.

He began his descent as quickly as he could, dropping down as fast as the small device would let him. Ignoring the cry of anguish that sounded from above, he reached over and pressed a small button on the left side of his watch.

The timer read 0:13.

He looked across the street, noticing the car that Nick, Judy and he had used to get here was idling on the side of the road. _Good timing, you two,_ he thought, looking up at the sky. He had descended the majority of the building, and there was no way the ferret could make it to the bottom floor in time to catch him. Dust let out a sigh of relief.

This was quickly turned into a gasp of surprise as the rope went slack. His eyes widened as he began a freefall from over two stories up, the pavement rushing up to greet him.

Dust let out a huge gasp of pain as he hit the ground, something in his side giving a crack he felt rather than heard. He choked for air, the necessary substance seemingly unavailable to him for a brief moment. His vision blurred as he gave a cough, something staining the inside of his mask and filling his nose with a now-familiar scent. His mouth tasted lightly of copper – blood. "J-Just great..." he groaned, free paw clutching his side as he tried scrambling for the car. His left arm felt like it was one fire, and he could feel something warm trickling into his glove. It ached, as did his entire side and collection of recent wounds.

A gray paw pushed open the back door as he scrambled to his feet, Judy giving him a worried expression as he flung himself into the back seat. Before the door was closed, Nick had already stepped on the gas, driving down the street. Dust looked over the back window, watching Lucas race onto the street, before dropping his sword and collapsing to his knees, mouth agape in a wail of agony as the car drove away.

Judy was pressed up against the far side of the back seat, holding Dust's head as she looked over him. "Are you alright?" she asked, frowning when he nodded. "Just fine. We gotta get back. I got the drive."

"Oh, yeah, you're just peachy after all that," Nick said, eyes glued to the road. "A three story fall, gunshots, and I'm pretty sure there was blood on that sword. But yeah, sure, you're totally fine."

"What happened in there?" Judy looked down at Dust with concern. He gave a dry laugh.

"The guy's a light sleeper. Can't even step on some papers without having a gun aimed at me."

"I thought you said you could do this without getting caught? 'Don't worry. I've done this before. He won't catch me.'" Nick glanced at them from the rear view mirror.

A cough cut off the start of a response, Dust grabbing the mask around his muzzle and pulling it away. He scrunched his nose up at the smell of blood, Judy flicking on a light and letting out a gasp. "You're coughing up blood!"

"I'm fine," he insisted.

"You're bleeding all over your coat, you're not fine!" Judy sounded angry with him. Dust sat up, still clutching his side.

"I'm fine. Really. Just get us back to my place," he looked out the window as he spoke, feeling Judy's frustrated gaze burn into him. She opened her mouth, most likely to yell at him about taking care of himself. It was one of few conditions he had been given for doing this.

 _Don't,_ he thought. _Just don't, Judy.  
You're going to be upset with them for being concerned about you?  
I told them not to, didn't I?  
You know they won't listen._

As though reading his mind, the rabbit shut her mouth and climbed into the back seat. Nick gave her a concerned look as she crossed her arms and looked out the window.

The remainder of the drive was in silence, the only break being the sound of wind rushing past them as Dust cracked a window, the smell of blood bothering his nose. Multiple times, Judy made a noise, like she was going to speak, only to be stopped by a look from Nick.

 _Thanks for keeping her under control,_ Dust thought, looking at the other red fox, his eyes slowly falling shut as they drove. "Wake me when we get there," he muttered.


	19. Rest and Rela-

When Dust woke up, he wasn't in the car. Instead, he was laid out on his couch. His side and arm ached, he could feel parts of his fur stiff with blood, and his head was pounding. The fox groaned and rolled over, collapsing to the ground with a small grunt. He heard shuffling beside him and looked up, seeing Nick and Judy's worried expressions as they hovered over him, paws held out to offer him aid.

He grunted and pushed himself upright, wobbling on his legs as he began taking off his gear – he was _hot_. His backpack was at the edge of the couch, and his duster fell to the ground with a clank, before he undid his belt and slid it off, letting the items that were around his waist fall to the ground. He discarded his mask and shirt next, leaving them in his wake as he made straight for the bathroom without so much as a word to either officers.

Judy turned to Nick as soon as Dust had shut the door, frowning with worry. "We have to do something about him," she said. Nick nodded in agreement, leaning back slightly as he thought.

"He's clearly pretty tough, but after a fall like that he needs to take a break. We both know he won't do it, though," Nick said, staring down the hallway. Judy began to pace, eyes staring at her feet as she racked her brain for something. The sound of the shower started drifted from the bathroom. Her eyes ultimately fell down to the taller fox's coat, and an idea sprung into her head.

"What if we have him review whatever's on the hard drive?" She said. Nick raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Wasn't that already the plan, Carrots?" he asked. Judy shook her head.

"Well, it was, but if we can convince him to take his time with it, it could give him an excuse to rest. To be honest, I'd rather get him checked on in the hospital, but since Phraxus knew he was there the other day, I don't think it's a good idea. If Lucas gets word out to them about this, then they'll likely be looking for him in hospitals." Judy set her paws on her hips, staring up at Nick. "So if we have him rest here, and convince Bogo to have a unit patrol around here," she started, Nick cutting her off.

"He could rest up, and thoroughly comb through whatever's on the hard drive. With the patrol going, it'd be harder for Phraxus to get to him, and we could take care of a few things back at the Precinct for however long this lasts," the fox finished. Judy smiled and nodded.

"Exactly. We just need to convince him to take it easy for a while. Maybe we can get a doctor to make a house call, too."

Nick nodded, rubbing his chin. "That would be tricky, though. Maybe. The doctor could lead Phraxus back here. It would be like sending him to the hospital, only it would take a little longer."

Judy frowned at this, groaning at the realization, before her ears rose up and her expression changed to a smile once again. " _Unless_ we have them meet somewhere. If we can find safe transportation for him, Dust can meet the doctor in a safe place. There will be no immediate connections to where he lives!"

Nick joined Judy in smiling at this, though it faltered a moment later. "Hang on a moment, Carrots. He called Frost at the hospital, right?" Judy looked up curiously, nodding. "And that was when he was told that Phraxus knew where he was, right? We all saw him get anxious right before. How did they know where he was?"

Judy opened her mouth to speak, before closing it and holding her chin as she looked down, foot tapping against the ground. "You're right. Maybe they tapped into the call, and traced it?"

"But wouldn't he have said something about it?" Nick asked. Judy frowned at this, but nodded. "Now, hear me out on this. Phraxus knew he was at the hospital, but not where he lives. And all of a sudden, we have all this potential information on them, but again, they don't know where Dust lives. Isn't that a little funny? Almost like this is _too_ easy? Almost like-"

"Like someone's feeding us information?" Judy asked. Nick nodded.

"But the question now is _why_ Phraxus hasn't taken action yet. What are they waiting for?" Nick wondered. The two stood in silence for a minute, before the idea hit them at the same time. Both mammals turned to one another and started.

"They're going to feed us false information," Nick started, before Judy took over.

"So we go after the wrong mammals, the wrong places," Judy continued. Nick picked up here.

"And it distracts us from their actual goals." Both officers stared at one another, giving a small, nervous chuckle. "That's... A little strange, isn't it, Carrots?"

"Their plan, or...?"

"Us completing one another's thoughts and sentences." Nick clarified. Judy rolled the idea around in her head for a moment, before smiling nervously, seeing the awkwardness of it.

"Just a little bit," she admitted. "But, back to the important matter. Why would Frost tell Dust that Phraxus knows about him being in the hospital if he's the leak?"

Nick took a moment to ponder this. "What if it's not Frost?" he asked aloud. "For all we know, it's actually Dust. Or the other two we've met, King and Li. Or maybe it's not like that at all?" The fox started to pace now, Judy containing a laugh at their change of positions. "Frost is the _only_ one we haven't met, and the only one who is in contact with Dust and only Dust. From what we've seen, none of them are exactly computer-savvy."

"Which would mean that Frost is the one who gathered the information on Phraxus that we have now," Judy said.

Nick nodded. "Right. But what if he wasn't careful about covering his tracks? What if they found him, traced him, got to him? The one mammal that might have information on everything for Dust and the others, now at their control?"

"Then no place is safe for them," she realized. "But then, wouldn't they have done something to this place or the others by now?"

"Unless they're waiting, like we said earlier," Nick said. He paused and looked over at Judy, raising up a finger as he made his way over to her. "We need to talk to Dust, and find out exactly what was said in that phone call," he said. Judy nodded in agreement.

"So, the plan is: Get Dust to rest and go through the hard drive; keep a patrol in the area; find out what happened in that phone call; try to get him a doctor; and do our own thing at the Precinct?"

Nick nodded. "Sounds about right," he said. Judy smiled. "Now we just need to convince him..."

"Convince who?" Dust said, walking into the room. Nick and Judy both jumped slightly, having not heard the fox exit the bathroom, and the rabbit had to turn around from embarrassment. Dust was dressed in just his pants, slowly wrapping a white bandage around his midsection. The new injuries to his right side were a visible, angry red, and whenever his left arm stretched too far, he let out a soft hiss of pain.

Nick smirked down at Judy, finding nothing but amusement at her reaction, before straightening out his expression and staring at the larger fox. "Dust, we need to talk," he said. The blue-eyed reynard looked at him, pausing in the dressing of his cuts before resuming.

"Go ahead," he said, tone indifferent. Nick took a breath, his paws hiding inside his pockets.

"You need to take a break," He said. Dust scoffed.

"And I also need a new house, computer, bed..." he said, reaching for the black shirt he had worn earlier. It was stained with blood but, for the time being, it would do. He turned around and began searching for his mask as well.

"I'm serious," Nick said. "You need to rest."

"The answer is no," Dust replied.

"Dust," Nick said, before being interrupted by a harsh "No!"

He was putting his shirt on when Judy finally spoke.

 _"Robin,"_ she said. Her tone was commanding, stern, similar to that of a parent who had had enough from their stubborn child. Dust froze, shirt partway over his head as one ear stuck out the neck hole. His tail dropped, as did his ears, as he finished pulling the shirt on and slowly turned around. His eyes were full of a combination of fury and sorrow.

"What did you call me?" he asked.

"Robin," Judy replied, not at all deterred by his anger. The fox almost flinched at the name, but he held his ground. "Listen to me. You _need_ to rest. We let you leave the hospital, but this is too much."

"I'm fine," he replied.

"Fine? Dust, look at yourself! You've gotten at least a half dozen injuries in the past week. You took a three story fall. You are not fine!" Judy replied. There was concern evident in her voice, and Nick carefully waited for his chance to enter the conversation again.

"I'm fine," the other fox repeated. "I've got no choice. I'll be fine."

Judy sighed, holding the bridge of her nose in frustration. Nick stepped up beside her. "Then, we've no choice either. Look, you've been a massive help with this, but if you don't listen, we _will_ have to take drastic measures. You're injured, you know that. You're only going to get more injured if you're not at the top of your game. Something that you can only be after you've rested."

Judy spoke up again. "Look, we aren't telling you to stop fighting Phraxus. Far from it, we actually figured out a win-win. You have the hard drive, right? Go through what's on it, here. And while you do that, _rest._ Take your time and go over it all very carefully. Then, if it's safe, copy it and give it to us."

Dust didn't seem to like the idea, but he was smart enough to not argue yet. Nick spoke again. "Judy and I have our own thing we have to do at the Precinct. If you rest and go through the information, that gives us time to get that done. We'll make sure there's a patrol car here at all times, and we'll get you checked out." Nick held out his paws, head tilted in a 'Well, what is it?' gesture.

The other fox stared at the officers before him in silence, clearly letting the wheels in his head churn. Nick did the gesture again, as if asking him to hurry, and Dust sighed in resignation. "Fine. But I won't stay here any longer than a week. And I'm not seeing a doctor." He cut off Judy as she opened her mouth to argue. "Look, I'll rest. I'll take it easy. I won't even leave here if I don't need to. But I do have my own conditions. One week, no doctors. And if something comes up, the week gets cut short. That's only fair, right?"

"Not entirely," Judy sighed, "But... It works. We'll speak with Chief Bogo in the morning about assigning a unit to patrol here. Until then, we're going to stay here."

Dust scoffed. "Do I get a say in this?" he asked, ears flattening when both Nick and Judy immediately said "No." He replied with a soft chuckle, before rubbing the top of his head and turning for his room. He tossed his clothes over to the pile of dirty clothes he had in a corner, before walking back out for his coat and bag. "Then you two can take the guest bedroom again," he said, lifting his coat and examining it. There were several holes in it, which bothered him. Oilskin was tough and durable, but it wasn't as good as, say leather or something like kevlar. Bullets and properly sharpened blades would have no trouble getting through it, and that showed with the stains of crimson on the black fabric.

He reached into one of the inner pockets of the coat, and drew out the hard drive. Much to his dismay, a part of it was bent and broken, the casing having taken part of a bullet while he had 'fought' Lucas.

 _Maybe it's just external damage?  
And if it isn't? Frost doesn't have access to the Brightwater systems anymore.  
Maybe he made a backup?  
Hopefully._

"We may have a problem here," Dust admitted, holding up the damaged hard drive for the fox and rabbit to see. Their expressions changed to one of worry and dismay at the damage, but they soon regained a hopeful energy.

"It doesn't look that bad," Nick said. "Maybe it's just the outside that's damaged?" Dust shrugged.

"Even if the actual circuits and wires took damage, isn't it still useable?" Judy asked. Dust shrugged again.

"It depends. See, it's not like a CD where, if it's scratched, there's just some distortion or playback errors. If there's too much damage, this thing is dead. The data could be gone and irrecoverable." He lowered the hard drive and slid it into one of his few unoccupied pockets, reaching down to put on his belt. "However, there's the chance it's still good to use. Or, mostly. Either way, we'll need to wait until morning." He kept gathering what he had left out by the couch, and began walking to his bedroom. The various gadgets and items he kept with his backpack and coat clanked as he walked, dumping them beside his door before walking back out, fingers lightly trailing over the knife wound in his left arm.

Dust walked past the officers and into the kitchen, ducking out of sight as he rummaged through a small drawer and re-emerged with a large, white medical kit. He opened it and began sifting through the items inside, before drawing out a crescent-shaped needle attached to some thread. Without so much as glancing at Nick and Judy, he grabbed a pair of trauma shears from the kit and snipped off a red-stained string that dangled from his arm, before grabbing the needle and beginning to carefully stitch his arm.

He was midway through his self-stitching when Judy coughed, both her and Nick now on the other side of the counter. "Robin," she said, pausing for a moment. Her voice was filled with curiousity and worry. "What injuries do you have now?"

The blue-eyed fox stared at her for a moment, before resuming his stitching. "Why does it matter? I'll live either way."

"So we know what to try and get you while you rest," Nick said. His gaze was harder than Judy's, but concern was still evident in his eyes.

 _They still care for you.  
They need to stop.  
They won't; you know it.  
Well, I won't stop trying and hoping that they'll stop._

Dust was quiet a moment longer, before sighing. "At least four cracked ribs, a bullet grazed my right side, a sword cut my right side, whatever I had at the hospital... Maybe a cracked ulna, or radius." He tapped just above where he was working, on the upper half of his forearm. "Hit my head with the fall, but I don't think it was major. Think my tail got grazed by a bullet, too."

Nick passed Judy his phone as Dust talked, and the rabbit began typing the information in a text to herself. "How're you still kicking?" She wondered aloud, looking up and passing Nick his phone back.

Dust shrugged. "I got lucky. But I can tell you one thing: No matter what, I'm not dying during this. I can't."

Nick scoffed. "You're not immortal," he said. "And clearly you can be hurt."

Dust tied off the thread, before cutting the remaining string free with the shears and putting the equipment back in the kit, closing it up and putting it away with a hiss of pain from his side. "Never said I was immortal," he replied. "Never said I was invulnerable, either. Just can't die yet."

Judy tilted her head curiously, but she and Nick remained silent as Dust walked around the counter again. "I'm... Going to go lie down," the larger fox said. His tone had suddenly shifted – instead of being somewhat distant, yet determined, he now sounded... Defeated and exhausted. His tail hung low, as did his ears. "You two have a good night. Oh, and... You need to make up your minds on what you're going to call me."

And with that, he walked out of the room, quietly shutting his bedroom door behind him.

~ óÓÒò ~

Dust leaned against his door as soon as it was closed. His vision was hazy as his eyes filled with tears and he slid down the door, resting against it as he sat on the ground.

 _Stop crying.  
Haven't I earned a chance to cry?  
What are you even crying about?  
Because they care.  
So you're going to _cry _? What are you, a kit?  
Why do they care?  
It's pity.  
No, no it's not. It's real, it's-  
Was Rachel's real? Or was it pity?_

The fox flinched. Those thoughts struck him like the fall he had suffered not long ago.

 _Exactly. Remember that.  
They care in a different way.  
For now, maybe. It'll all end up the same.  
Shut up,_ Dust growled. He knew he was alone, but the argument in his head was getting to him. He didn't want to risk someone walking in on him freaking out again. Rising up, the fox forced himself to his bed. He could feel tears seep through his fur, though his expression never wavered as he flung himself under the covers. Sleep, that was all he really needed. Sleep would drive off the argument. Sleep would heal him. Sleep would hide him.

~ óÓÒò ~

"Dammit!" He shouted, slamming his fist on the table of his living room.

Three days had passed since Nick and Judy had convinced Dust to stay at home. In those three days, he had done his laundry, set up his old tower computer, taken care of his injuries, and eaten _maybe_ five meals. It was now seven at night and he had finally, finally gotten the computer updated and ready to go.

Unfortunately, the hard drive was going to take another three hours to "scan and repair". Dust scowled, his patience running thin. While Judy and Nick had kept their promise of bringing him what they could for his injuries, it really wasn't much more than he'd already had. Just some extra painkillers, a bit of gauze, and other small things. At least he had a replacement for all the sewing supplies he'd used to close up his cuts. They were healing, slowly. The bullet wounds had scabbed over now, and the sword wound was on the way. His left arm, where Lesnitsky had stabbed him, was faring much better and had almost healed enough to take out the thread.

They had been right, Dust really HAD needed some rest. Or at least, his body did. His mind, however, could not be slowed down. He was constantly bored, no matter what he did – games, reading, writing, designing, it all bored him. And, of course, he couldn't leave his house without breaking his word. And it was driving him nuts.

Leaning back into the couch, the fox stared at the various papers he had sitting about. New designs for swords he wanted to try, but never bothered to sketch; ideas for stories that had been filed in his head for the longest time; random drawings of various mammals and otherworldly creatures (oddly, an octopus-faced biped with wings was a recurring theme). Even a few strange ideas he had half-remembered – scrabbling down concepts of different universes. Ones where he wasn't a thing, or was born too soon or too late to help out now. Born in different eras. Universes with different laws and concepts, abstract to the ones he and his fellow mammals were well-acquainted with.

But it _still_ bored him.

Sighing in defeat, he rose up and started gathering his papers, organizing them and putting them in relatively safe places. Judging from the sick feeling he had, and the growling of his stomach, he needed to eat something while he waited.

His attention turned to the kitchen. Cooking was a good distraction, right?

~ óÓÒò ~

Two days later, and there was _finally_ some semblence of progress made. While the hard drive had been damaged, there was enough that could be recovered to be useful. He now had clear access to a list of mammals in the group, several locations of where they had 'bases' or hideouts, information on what gear they seemed to use, and other small things. Unfortunately, there was no information on specifics about these mammals – they were all in corrupted folders beyond repair, the data being too far gone to even try to fix.

In the very least, he was able to get the useable information copied to his tower, and to one of his dozens of flash drives. For a terrabyte hard drive being used, all the information he had was under 2 GB. This concerned him as to the amount of information they may have lost, but he still felt that they had won something here.

He had called Nick and Judy earlier, as soon as he had the files pulled safely, and let them know he had recovered something they could use. They were to come by the next day and retrieve it, leaving the fox free to his own devices for the remaining hours of the night. He silently watched over his dinner as he cooked, glancing at the clock and wincing at the late hour – 10:13. His arm and sides were healing well, well enough that he had taken out most of the stitches, and the bandages were no longer necessary (though, appealing to his less mature side, he kept them on so as to 'look cooler', going so far as to keep his shirt off even). As it was now, he was in the kitchen cooking some more fried potatoes and vegetables, when his instinct began to nag at him. Something seemed off, unnerving. Almost like he was being watched.

He turned down the heat of his stove, letting the crackle of the oil fall to a nearly nonexistent hiss as he perked his ears and listened closely. A quiet scratching sound was coming from his front door. Crouching low, he crept over to the counter, peering around to look at the doorway as his ears strained to pick up the sound of someone outside.

"Think he's still awake?" someone asked. Dust reached into his pocket and drew out his phone, quickly sending out a small text to Judy and Nick as he listened.

"No idea," a second voice said. "But hey, there's four of us, this should be easy either way."

"Will you two shut up?" a third voice sounded. "If we don't get the jump on him, this is pointless!"

Dust shook his head, ignoring the dread in his stomach. _Amateurs,_ he thought, slinking back to the kitchen as he looked around. He usually kept something in here to defend himself with, where was it?..

Dust reached into a drawer at the same time that his front door cracked open. The smell of food drifted for the opening, and the mammals waiting outside froze. Dust kept himself under the counter, clutching the three throwing knives he had taken out in one paw. After a minute of silence from both parties, the door was pushed open further. "Don't think he's up anymore," the first voice said quietly. "Let's get 'im."

Dust kept himself still and low to the ground, counting down from fifteen slowly before he sprung up. His door was wide open, the invaders all facing away from him. A brown wolf, tan coyote, and arctic fox, all dressed in black including a mask, each with a weapon. The wolf held a metal baseball bat, the coyote held a crowbar, and the fox was clutching a plain-looking knife. Each one looked young, younger than him, but still old enough to be out of high school.

Dust let out a whistle, causing the mammals to all turn around and stare at him, before he threw the knives their way. Two dug into the coyote's shoulders and one grazed past the wolf's arm, leaving a small cut. With a cry of pain, the coyote fell onto his back, the fox and wolf charging forward.

The fox reached Dust first, and the larger of the two grabbed the frying pan off the stove and swung. Food went flying as the fox cried out from the blow, searing hot oil and metal smashing the side of his head and sending him to the ground. The knife he held slid away and onto the living room floor. The wolf was the next to reach him, bat raised up before being brought down to him. Holding up the pan, the smaller canid deflected the blow and flung the pan at the wolf, hearing a satisying _clunk_ as it connected with his skull.

Dust jumped up to the counter and began to roll, but the wolf swung the bat and clipped his shin as he did so. Dust fell to the ground and rolled again, biting his tongue from the pain in his leg as the wolf rushed around the corner, bat raised again. He brought it down on Dust, but the fox rolled to the side to avoid, before rolling back and hooking his arm over it. He then brought his other arm up to grab the wolf's shirt collar and pulled, coiling up his feet to kick the larger mammal in the jaw. The blow loosened his grip on the bat, and Dust took full advantage of this, grabbing the metal object and swinging for the wolf's leg.

The wolf let out a yelp as the bat connected with his leg, but to his credit, he didn't fall. Dust swung in the oppsosite direction, still on his back, smacking the wolf's other leg with the bat this time. Unable to take the blows, he fell to the side, his head connecting with the countertop and letting out a painful _crack_. Dust winced and, for a moment, felt pity for the pain he'd feel, before he saw one of his throwing knives smack the counter beside him. Another followed quickly after, and he turned to see the coyote back on his feet, swinging the crowbar at the fox.

With a yelp, he ducked down and dove forward, between the larger mammal's legs, before turning on the ground and kicking the back of the coyote's knees. They buckled immediately, the coyote falling to his knees as Dust threw his arms around his neck, one arm pulling back while the other was firmly pressed against the back of his neck. The coyote gasped and flailed lightly, reaching back to try and beat at Dust with the crowbar, but he quickly faltered and started to go limp. Dust held on a second or two longer, before dropping to the ground, the coyote following.

"You'll live," he muttered, turning to his front door as he heard police sirens. He snapped his attention back to the kitchen as he heard the other fox groan. Dust began walking back over and stopped behind the fox, grabbing the back of his mask and lifting up his head. "So, who sent you total amateurs after me?" he hissed. The fox spit at him, a pointless effort given his mask.

"Like hell we'd ever tell you," he said. "You get nothin' from us. An' even if you were a cop, we wouldn't tell you shit."

Dust grinned darkly. "Ah, but see, that's the thing. I'm _not_ a cop. Which means I can do _this_ ," he slammed the side of the fox's head to the ground. "Without dealing with a bunch of legal crap. You know why? Because _you_ broke into _my_ home with clear intent to kill. Now tell me what I want to know, or else."

"Or else what?" the fox hissed. "You ain't gettin' away from us!" Dust widened his eyes as the fox turned under him and swept out his legs, sending him to the floor. With a groan, he rolled to his front, his left side filled with a sudden aching. The fox kicked his muzzle, toppling him onto his back before planting a foot on his chest and stepping down. Dust gasped and groaned at the pain that filled him, staring up as the fox drew out a butterfly knife and twirled it open. "I can't believe they make you sound so hard to kill," the arctic fox said. "This was the easiest damn job I've ever done!"

As the arctic fox reared back his arm, Dust reached up for his knee and took hold, twisting as best he could. From sheer insinct, the fox turned with his leg, falling to the floor as Dust scrambled to his feet. The fox was swift to pick himself up, holding out the knife offensively. "Really think you can beat me with all those injuries?" he said, his grin practically beaming through the mask.

"Really think you can beat me with that? Kid, I _perfected_ those things," Dust replied, giving a smirk as the fox twirled the knife around in a feeble attempt to intimidate him. It didn't work in the slightest. "Let me give some advice. _Never_ fight someone who's had more experience than you in literally everything you do."

The fox let out a frustrated hiss as he lunged forward, Dust stepping to the side and grabbing his arm from behind. He kicked at the fox's knee, making him kneel briefly, before releasing his leg and kicking him in the back, making him bend over. Dust took advantage of this kick the fox's side, making him release the knife and send it along the ground.

At that moment, several more mammals rushed into the building. "ZPD! Nobody mo-" a white wolf started, pausing as he looked around. A tiger stepped beside him, looking around with a whistle. Dust raised up his paws and walked out from around the counter, looking rather smug. Nick and Judy were looking around as well, clearly frustrated with the sight before them. At seeing Dust, the group walked over.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" Nick said, his usual humor marred by the terseness that told Dust he had stepped over a line somewhere.

"Well I was, but these guys wanted me to sleep a bit longer than I wanted to," Dust replied. He lowered his harms and looked around. "There's three of them. Wolf, coyote, fox. I'm pretty sure they'll all be okay."

Nick walked to the kitchen, Judy holding the bridge of her nose in what could only be described as irritation. "You couldn't have hidden and waited for us?" she asked.

"What, and let you guys have all the fun?" he grinned. This faltered quickly as Judy gave him a scathing look, and he averted his gaze. "Look, I know this'll cause a mess for you guys back at the precinct. But would you rather I had risked them all finding me at once?" He shook his head, walking over to the tower computer in his living room. "At least there's this," he said, holding up the hard drive and flash drive. The wolf walked over and, after a careful and questioning look, took the hard drive, slipping it into a small evidence bag. Judy took the flash drive, pocketing it somewhere on her belt.

"Alright, look. We're going to double patrols here and keep a covert unit nearby for the next two days. We need to find out who sent them and why." Nick was talking as he rounded the corner again, the butterfly knife being safely set inside another evidence bag. "There's the chance it isn't who we think it is, but better to be safe than sorry. Delgato, Fangmeyer, let's wait outside for the others."

"You got it," Fangmeyer said, turning and walking out of the room. Delgato followed after, still looking around at the scene inside. Nick stopped beside Judy and stared at Dust.

"So, how're you feeling?" Judy asked. The larger fox shrugged.

"The baseball bat clipped my shin. I'm now without a dinner. The fox stepped on my chest. Aside from that, I feel fine. Didn't pop a stitch, didn't get any new cuts, or anything like that." Dust looked away briefly, his left paw running the fingers along his bandages as he spoke. He could feel Judy's gaze grow concerned, and Nick's grew curious, but neither said anything. "I'll have to do some cleaning tomorrow, huh?" he joked, looking around with a sigh. Silent nods were all he was given, and they all stayed still in silence for a minute.

Finally, Judy spoke as more cruisers pulled up outside. "Alright. We need to get the drive back to the precinct. Make sure to stay safe, okay?" Dust nodded at this, turning away. "Oh, and, Robin?" she said, making him pause in his tracks. He turned his head slightly, one eyebrow raised curiously as he waited for her to speak. "Thanks. For everything you're doing."

With a quiet nod, they reynard continued to his bedroom, ignoring his growling stomach as he shut the door.

 _They care.  
That they do.  
Maybe that's not such a bad thing?  
Now you're catching on._

~ óÓÒò ~

 **And there we go. Of all the names he's used, it's been decided which one Judy and Nick prefer for their vigilante friend: Robin Wick, his real, real name. No more lies or aliases. I'm sure it's gotten slightly confusing, if not just annoying, to keep changing names with him but there's a reason for it. Anyone care to guess what it is?**

 **That aside, I'm going to be working on my stories randomly now. Sometimes the creative juices just flow for one of them and not all, so I'll go with what I feel like writing. I do promise to try and keep you all from waiting too long with updates!**

 **Until next time.  
**

 **~ óÓÒò ~**

 **-N'yrthghar**


	20. Family Ties

He couldn't sleep. However hard he tried, however many times he tossed and turned, Robin couldn't sleep for more than a few minutes at a time. It wasn't until well after the sound of the officers outside his room had faded away that his mind finally felt at ease enough to let him rest.

It lasted all of an hour before he was half-awake again, eyes held shut as he tried to return to the comfort that was sleep. Yet it eluded him, his instincts tickling the back of his mind. But for the life of him, he couldn't think of why. So instead, he focused on the sounds of his home: the humming of the furnace, the creaking of the wood floor as it settled, the distant sound of his dryer running, the squeaking of a door.

 _Wait a minute,_ he thought, mind still blurry with exhaustion. His brain continued trying to connect the dots between his instincts and the unfamiliar sound of a door opening. His mind turned to the events leading up to his going to bed, the small bit of conversation he had heard before his dinner was so rudely interrupted. A single line of dialogue slipped to the forefront of his mind, demanding his attention.

 _"But hey, there's four of us, this should be easy either way."_

Those words played again and again in his mind, waiting until something clicked.

 _"Hey, there's four of us, this should be easy-"  
"There's four of us, this should be-"  
"Four of us."_

The creaking of a door sounded just outside his bedroom, and Robin was immediately alert. He had only fought three mammals; they said that there were four of them. He missed one.

His eyes adjusted to the dark of his room rather quickly, and he noticed his door handle, normally locked, beginning to turn slowly. It was pushed open as he dove off his bed, sending away his covers as he moved for his closet. There was a small _thup_ sound, and feathers and cloth exploded from one of his pillows. Reaching into his closet he grabbed the wooden chair that normally sat at the desk he kept stashed away, yanking it out and spinning around before throwing it at the intruder. They were relatively short, about his height, clearly a canine of some kind. Black covered most of their fur and there wasn't enough lighting to properly show his target's eyes.

Wood splintered and glass broke as a trio of small _thups_ sounded, the wood of the chair breaking just before Robin's bedroom window did. There was a grunt as the chair collided with the mammal, and Robin rushed forward, taking advantage of their stumbling to duck down and headbutt their chest. Another grunt sounded, and Robin raised his head to headbutt their chin, gritting his teeth at the pain it caused himself as he grabbed the mammal's gun arm and opposite shoulder, spinning him around and slamming him to the wall while pressing his forearm to the other's neck, shifting the shoulders he held. Another shot went out as he did this, light filling the hallway as their brief struggle flipped the switch by his bedroom door. Robin stared at the mammal he had pinned to the wall.

It had been a very, very long time since he had seen him. His red fur was still as immaculately kept as ever, the black of his ears and tail not yet tinged white, though the gray hairs on his muzzle betrayed his age. He wore a two-piece suit, fine red tie on a black shirt with a black jacket, and matching trousers, black leather gloves covering his paws. But his most distinguishing feature were his eyes – a vibrant green, glowing with age and experience that, if Robin didn't know any better, he would say belonged to a certain ex-hustler turned cop.

"Uncle Victor?" Robin asked incredulously. The other fox stared at Robin for a moment, in shock as he made connections of his own.

"Robin?" He asked after regaining his voice. Both parties fell back to being speechless again, staring at one another with a combination of regret and worry. Finally, the older of the two broke the silence. "So it's you they're after?" he muttered, taking a breath of understanding. "You're the one giving them so much trouble."

Robin stared at Victor, nodding shallowly before lowering his gaze. Victor dropped his gun, both foxes being grateful it didn't go off as a result. "You're with Phraxus?" he asked, ears and tail drooping. Victor nodded shallowly.

"Not by choice at this point, mind you," he said. Robin stepped back and let his uncle free, keeping his guard up as he stepped back.

"I know that you stayed behind on the island. What happened after we left? How did... How did you make it?" Robin asked, pursing his lips as he waited. Victor turned away, staring down the hallway.

"It was rough after what happened," Victor started. "My reputation had been, for the most part, ruined by what we did. I had to go underground to find work and stay safe."

"You promised us you wouldn't go back to that," Robin interrupted. Victor responded with a small scoff.

"It was that or be killed, Robin," he spat. "And I couldn't leave her. Not like that. So I did what I had to do, I did what jobs I could that were... Acceptable, so we could leave the island in one piece. One led to another and, eventually, I found the group you call Phraxus."

"They have more than one name?" Robin asked, confused.

Victor nodded. "Phraxus is one. Millenium, another. They even took to calling themselves the Predatory Coalition of Natural Order at one point. But, they found me, and offered me jobs I was willing to do for a good pay. Small things – thefts, distractions. Slowly, they became bigger things. Heists, armed robberies, framings. Then they moved here, to Zootopia -" the reynard paused here. He lifted an arm and flailed them slowly, as if fishing around for the right words in the space around him. "They started up an operation here. Made a foothold and slowly gained control. For the most part, it was all undetected. Bold enough to progress them, but subtle enough to not be noticed."

Robin nodded quietly, taking advantage of his uncle's turned back to pick up the gun and flick its safety on, before slipping it into the back of his pants. "And then we picked up on them," he said, crossing his arms. "We heard rumors of more Night Howler flowers being harvested and took it upon ourselves to investigate. We tracked down one of their more willing members and, just as he was getting to the good bit," Robing brought up his paw and held it like a gun, 'shooting' at Victor's leg. "Savage."

Victor nodded. "They picked up on you all, and had hoped that Jackson would've killed you in his savage state. He didn't, and you all kept getting in their way. They finally tracked down one of you, your friend at Brightwater, and-"

"I know what they did," Robin said. He looked down, a bitter taste forming in his mouth as he focused on keeping the tidal wave of anger he felt coming under control.

Victor nodded. "They used his computers to find you. Then they told us to come after you when it seemed the coast was clear. I was sent along because of experience."

They fell back into silence, an uneasy feeling in Robin's gut as he reviewed what Victor had told him. His ears perked as a list of questions formed in his mind. "You weren't normally one for wetwork. What changed?"

Victor's ears fell flat against his head as he began to walk to the living room, the younger fox following a moment after, but never letting his uncle leave his sights. "Millenium, they ah... Had evidence of me doing everything... They've held it against me. Threatened to leak it to the police if I didn't do what they asked. Normally, the jobs they demanded were simple, but over time, they made more... Dirty requests. Assassination, kidnapping, and the like."

Robin nodded, swallowing down the pity he felt. "Kidnappings... Like Lucas's girlfriend?"

Victor flinched slightly, but nodded and sat on the couch. "Like her. She's a fighter, but she's far from the only one they took. Politicians and businesses are influenced by Millenium, and because they have eyes almost everywhere, they have blackmail on enough mammals to get their way and keep their workings a secret. And because of it, no one ever comes forth with a missing mammal report."

Robin frowned at this. If Phraxus could do this level of control, how was he and his group still breathing, much less still fighting back? An idea slid into his mind, making Robin smile slightly at the idea. "Do you know where they keep them?" he asked. Victor looked up, curiousity showing in his eyes. "If we've been able to dance circles around Phraxus so far, maybe we can weaken their hold on everyone. If they have no living leverage, that leaves them with blackmail. And I'm willing to bet we can find that, too, and take that from them."

Victor opened his maw slightly, debating the idea. Ultimately, he nodded and smiled. "It's really dangerous, you know. Way more so than Outback Island was." Robin shrugged and smirked.

"Do you have any idea what I've been through in the past few weeks?" he asked. Victor shook his head, and Robin began listing off his recent injuries – each one made Victor either wince or look down in shame.

"And you're still kicking," he said with a chuckle.

Robin shook his head. "Not kicking, fighting on my own two feet with all I've got."

Victor smirked and crossed his own arms. "You take after your mom an awful lot, you know that? I can see why my brother loved her."

Robin nodded and kept the smug smile he had held, hoping his uncle didn't see his tail droop and his ears twitch as he attempted to keep them raised. Victor's eyes looked over his form for a moment, and Robin knew he had seen something.

"But that's not what we're talking about. As for the hostages, yes, I know where they're kept. The prey ones, at least."

"There's more than one group?" Robin asked. Victor nodded.

"Two main ones. Prey and predator. The prey are kept for... Various reasons," he said, looking away with an uneasy gaze. "The predators are used as test subjects, essentially."

"Test subjects for what?" Robin asked.

Victor shrugged. "I don't know. They wouldn't tell me anything, and it took a bit of eavesdropping myself to find out that they did that. They keep the prey in an abandoned apartment complex in Tundratown. But they move them around every week."

Robin looked down, thinking. "Do you know how they move them around?" he asked.

"I'm not certain, but sometimes I see a big truck with a massive container drive by the building they're kept at late at night. I'd bet you that that's what they use to move them."

Robin nodded again, looking down. "And I'm assuming you don't know where the predator group is, or how many there are?" Victor shook his head, much to the younger fox's dismay. "When do they move them?"

"Every Wednesday night." Victor replied. Robin stood up slightly straighter.

"Tomorrow?" he asked, grinning as Victor nodded. "That's perfect! Nick, Judy and I can-" he paused midsentace, his grin turning to a frown. "Nick doesn't know you're back, does he?" Victor pursed his lips and shook his head. "Alive, even?" Another shake of the fox's head. Robin looked at his uncle in light shock, before shaking his own head. "You need to tell him."

"No," was the immediate response.

"He's your son, he should know! He deserves to know!" Robin said, stepping forward.

Victor's ears laid against his head as he balled his paws into fists. "And if I tell him, then what?" he hissed. "How do I explain all these years to him? The missed birthdays and family events? How do I just jump back into his life in the middle of all of this? I can't, Robin!"

Robin stepped closer to Victor, his paws now fists as well. "What about his mother? Does she know?" Victor paused at this, before shaking his head. Robin's expression became smug as he flicked his tail. "Doesn't she deserve to know, too? Both of them?"

Victor looked down at the ground, taking a shaky breath. Robin felt his frustration with his uncle burning in his gut. He knew how it felt to have family just vanish on him, he understood the pain. And if Nick had been dealing with it since he was a kit, he couldn't imagine the size of the hole in his life. The few years he had gone without his father were torturous enough to him; Nick, and his mother, deserved to know that Victor was, in the very least, alive.

But the frustration and resentment turned to regret and sorrow once Victor raised his head again, eyes brimming with tears. "You think I don't want to tell them?" he asked. Robin released his fists, letting his paws hang at his sides – the anger and sadness in the older fox's voice had caught him off-guard. "You think I haven't wanted to find them, show up someday and try to make us whole again? To see my wife and son again? To _not_ feel like total shit again?" The older fox took a step forward, and Robin took one back. "That's all I've wanted for the longest time. Don't you come to me and make it seem like I'm the bad guy for leaving them in the dark! I am every bit the victim as they are!" Robin took a step back again, Victor another forward as his voice raised. "I can't just run around and not worry about them because my family is well away from the city! They are here, they are _vulnerable_! Nick, my _son_ , is a target now because of this! And if I cut my ties to Millenium, they'll go after him, and Vivian, in force!"

Robin took a step back for each one Victor took forward, backpedalling down the hallway as his uncle began roaring at him. "They already about killed him with that SWAT van because Lucas was impatient! And for all I know they're hunting him down right now to try and kill him in his own bed! So no, do _not_ try to make me the bad guy in this because I haven't told them!" Robin bumped against the end of his hallway, Victor stopping well within arm's reach of him and stabbing at his chest with a finger before he stopped, voice dropping to a defeated tone.

"All I want to do is be a family with them again. To make up for lost time, but I can't. Millenium has as much dirt on me as they do anyone else, and they'll use it to get their way. Until all this is over, assuming it ever ends, I can't let them know that I'm so much as alive." He balled his paws to fists again, before looking up to Robin with determination filling his gaze. "So it's up to you. If they find out I talked to you, and didn't kill you, they're going to come after them. So I'll tell you everything I know, and then I have to go. I'll disappear for a while, until this all ends. And maybe then, I can try to fix things."

Robin swallowed his nervousness and the plethora of emotions his uncle had brought about. He stood there, bowing his head for a moment as he processed everything, before taking a deep breath and nodding. "Alright," he said, brushing past the older fox and powering up the computer in his living room. "Just, bring up a document and put everything there. I'll do what I can to help you slip away, make a call or two. I won't speak a word of this to anyone, even Nick."

Victor followed after his nephew, muttering thanks as he sat down. As soon as he was able, he began to type up information as Robin walked into the kitchen for a drink. He returned to his uncle with two shot glasses filled with a brown liqour, the smell of whiskey being brought to their noses as he did so.

"Honey whiskey," Robin said, smiling softly as his uncle took the glass after a moment's hesitation and threw the drink back. Robin followed his lead, shuddering slightly at the unique flavor and burn the liqour left, bringing both glasses to the kitchen and rinsing them out before heading to his room for his phone. He returned to the living room again and began making the first call he could to help, listening to the quiet tacking of the keyboard as he waited.

~ óÓÒò ~

"So you just happened to be able to recover this information off your copy of the hard drive, even though our tech teams haven't found so much as a trace of it?" Nick asked skeptically. Robin nodded, hoping they would buy the lie – he had decided that 'recovered data' was the best excuse for the information Victor had typed up on his computer. Nick and Judy were currently scrolling through it as he slid on his coat, being careful to button it up before turning to face the officers. The weight of his uncle's gun rested against his hip unevenly, though it was counterbalanced by the three full magazines on his opposite side.

Victor had left Robin with his gun – a black P99 with a built in compensator – and the remaining magazines he had, three in all, and a total of about 55 bullets the fox could use. He had promised to use the gun in defense only, and had insisted that his uncle remove the suppressor mechanism he had attached to it for the mission he was assigned. Robin had been careful to keep it hidden away from Nick and Judy as they investigated his home, and now hid them under his duster with the harness his uncle had left. Thankfully, he hadn't needed to adjust them very much, as both mammals had a similar build.

The information his uncle had left was much more useful than what had been recovered from the hard drive. Locations where Phraxus, or Millenium as he called them, had been frequenting, the stores of some of their Night Howler grow houses, several key members, including Lesnitsky and Esmerelda, and even a bit of information on the leader of Phraxus.

" _I never once met him, but I did hear of him. He's a tough mammal, a smaller predator but big for his species. Suave and powerful, commanding. They call him 'Fangs', though no one knows why."_

On top of that, Victor had explained that at least two dozen mammals were held as hostages. Some seemed to just be plucked from the streets, though, and those ones were never seen by him again. The predator hostages, too, were sometimes seen once and only once. The forces of Millenium were large, easily at least a hundred mammals, all predators, ranging from tigers and wolves to foxes and shrews. Very few prey animals were ever considered a member of the group.

The goals of the group, however, were rather unsettling. Victor made several statements about how they felt that the natural order had been destabilized, and that prey were overrunning the world. They felt that the only proper thing to do was re-establish predators as the naturally dominant force, and multiple portions of the information alluded to the "harvesting" of prey animals for all they were worth.

It all made Robin sick to his stomach, and almost made him shake with anger.

After a short time, Nick removed the small flash drive Robin had given them the other day. "And part two of your plan was what, again?" he asked.

"I need to see Lucas," Robin repeated. Judy and Nick both looked at him, slackjawed.

"Robin, that is a bad idea," Judy said. "A horribly stupid idea!"

"Since when do I do smart things?" Robin shot back, giving a small smirk. He hoped his facade of fearlessness worked – it was more likely that Lucas would shoot the fox on sight than speak with him. "Look," he said, turning around and patting himself down, brushing his fingers over the cut on his coat. "I need you guys to get him back to his apartment after I get in. If I can catch him off guard and talk to him quick enough, he won't kill me." _I hope,_ Robin thought, shrugging off his worry. Now was not the time for that.

Nick and Judy gave the fox a skeptical, worried look. "And if he doesn't give you the chance?" Judy asked.

Robin tilted his neck to either side, popping it, followed by his knuckles. "I'm feeling a hundred percent, and wouldn't mind showing him why you don't pick a fight with me," he lied. In truth, his chest hurt an awful lot from his tangles with the intruders last night. But he had taken painkillers that had, at least, taken off the edge of the pain

Nick shook his head, standing up. "Personally, I think this idea is worse than Carrots' attempts at jokes," he said, sniggering as Judy slapped his shoulder. "But that doesn't mean I don't think it could work," he continued, folding his arms. Robin strained to not see his uncle this time, shaking his head slightly to clear his mind as he looked at the uniformed fox.

"But that also means that we need to consider alternatives," Judy said. "Do we _have_ to get Lucas to meet you face to face?"

"Honestly," Robin said, "It's what I think is best. There's so many things that could go wrong, yeah, but there's more if we try to do a call or something. And, call me impatient, but it needs to be _today_. Not tonight, not tomorrow, today."

Judy and Nick looked at one another, both passing along unspoken messages before they sighed. "Alright," Judy said. "We'll get you to his apartment, and get him there after. But you need to tell us phase three of your 'master plan'."

Robin gave a single laugh. "It's simple: We loosen Phraxus' foothold on the city. We take away some of their leverage."

"And how's that?" Nick asked.

Robin grinned this time, eyes sparkling with mischief. "We're gonna steal a truck."

~ óÓÒò ~

Robin stood inside Lucas' apartment, silently looking around. He had made half the plan for the theft with Nick and Judy, before leaving the officers to talk to their chief about aiding him and, hopefully, Lucas in saving the prey held in the apartments.

The damages from his break-in were still evident, bullet holes in the carpeting and floor, though the ones on the wall at least seemed to be in the midst of being patched up. The couch had its own collection of holes, bits of white stuffing poking from the pillows. The ferret's front door had been replaced, leaving no splintered wood or other damage to see, though the cut from Robin's side still occasionally burned.

He was debating wether or not to investigate Lucas's bedroom when his phone went off, a faint buzzing emanating from his pocket. When he looked, he didn't recognize the number, and hesitated before answering. The voice on the other end was heavily distorted, sounding like two instead of just one: a high-pitched voice, like that of a kit, and a deeper growl, like something out of a horror movie. "Phoenix," it said.

Robin waited a moment, before letting his own voice fall to the subtle growl of his vigilante persona. "Ice pick."

There was a soft laugh, before the other voice started again. "Good. Didn't think I remembered your number right. Dust, we need to meet up."

Robin's mouth went dry, and he started looking down at his phone briefly with surprise. Was it Frost? "I thought you said you didn't want to meet."

"I don't," he said. "But we need to meet up. I've got your car. Meet me at the Moonlight Rose bar in Savanna Central Friday night. Corner stall, before 2100. Don't keep me waiting."

And with that, the call ended. Robin stared down at the phone in silence, processing the information. If it was indeed Frost, then this could mean he had lucked out again. If it wasn't though, and was just a setup...

The sound of the front door unlocking drew his mind from his thoughts, and Robin tucked his phone away into his pocket. He did a quick practice movement of reaching for his gun and, feeling satisfied with the speed at which he could reach it, he took a relaxed stance, leaning against the wall behind him with folded arms and legs crossed. Lucas, in his uniform but minus the vest and other gear he'd need at the station, walked in and dropped down a duffel bag to the floor. He took his white sports glasses and slid them back on his head, letting them rest against his ears as he took a sidearm from the bag and slid it into its holster on his hip. Lucas then moved into the kitchen, all the while seemingly oblivious to Robin's presence.

He reached up into a cupboard and grabbed a glass, filling it with cold water at the sink. He started taking a drink from it when Robin let his impatience get the better of him, and finally spoke.

"Real nice place you have here," he said, smirking slightly as Lucas froze mid-sip. "I think I prefer it at night, though. Much more my style."

In the time it took Lucas to set down the glass and draw his sidearm, aiming at Robin, the fox had drawn his own pistol and had it aimed squarely between the ferret's eyes. The officer stood in his training stance, both paws firmly gripping the sidearm, while Robin held a much more casual stance, holding the gun with one paw as he stood sideways to the ferret.

"Lucas," he said, smirk transforming to a grin under the mask as the ferret widened his eyes. Clearly, he hadn't expected to be staring down a gun barrel, himself. "Is that any way to greet me? I at least had the courtesy to stop by during daylight."

"What do you want, Red?" The ferret spat, gripping his gun tightly.

"Right to the chase, no beating around the bush? Aw, you're no fun anymore," Robin quipped. It seemed that Nick and Judy had rubbed off on him slightly; normally, he wouldn't even try to be a smartass while using his Dust persona. "What I want, is help. To help you, after you help me."

"After what you did? Why would I help you?" the ferret hissed. His ice blue eyes were brimming with rage, and Robin could see he was itching to pull the trigger and be done with the fox.

"Good question," Robin replied. "And so is: Why would _I_ help _you_? The answer, my dear _nouille,_ is that I can get your girlfriend back for you."

Lucas faltered at this, taking a moment before shaking his head and staring at Robin. "And how would that work out?" he asked, voice wary.

"It's simple. Tonight, she and about two dozen other mammal hostages are being moved. _I_ happen to know where they're being held, and when to get to them. Maybe, if a certain SWAT officer could, I don't know, help set up some kind of ambush or something, we can free all these poor lost souls and get this noodle's girlfriend back." Robin tilted his head slightly, loosening his stance. He held himself in a sort of shrug, the pistol aimed at Lucas the whole time but shifting away enough to signal that he didn't want to fight. "That, and, I don't know, maybe it would help stop the guys bold enough to steal that pretty bunny away in the first place?"

Lucas hissed softly at the word 'pretty', but took in in stride. He lowered his gun slightly, staring at Robin with a testing gaze. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Ah-ah, hold on now. Much as I'd like to discuss this further, you've still, more or less, got your gun aimed at my head. So let's set these things down and talk like adults, alright? No shooting, no tricks, no bullshit." Robin's gaze became steely as he looked at Lucas, but he made his tone sincere, going so far as to hold up his paws and turn to face the ferret. "I'll even start," he offered, slowly crouching down and setting the pistol on the floor, taking care to face it away from both mammals. Lucas hesitated for a moment, before letting his paws fall to his sides, holstering his own weapon in the process.

Robin let out a silent sigh of relief. He had taken a fairly large risk in making himself so vulnerable – in such close quarters, without the cover of night to help him, he was almost certainly, probably, definitely dead if the trigger was pulled. "Now then," he said, lowering his arms. "Got anything to drink?"

~ óÓÒò ~

And so it was set. Lucas would get a small group of mammals he trusted entirely together, and bring them to a designated location close to the apartments where the hostages were held. Robin, accompanied by Nick and Judy, and transported by King, would watch from a safe distance and message the SWAT officer when it was time to spring the trap. The SWAT team would move in, followed quickly by several units of the ZPD from both that precinct and Downtown. The members of Phraxus that were present would be arrested, and the hostages brought to safety. They would be kept under police care until the remaining members of Phraxus were found, and the proper action was taken against them.

Overall, for something so hasty, it felt solid. Robin was satisfied, Lucas was strangely quiet as he practically shook in anticipation. Nick and Judy kept up their usual banter and, whenever he was near, Robin couldn't help but share in their laughter or, on several occasions, chime in and earn himself a high-four from either officer. Unlike past 'missions', nothing felt off with him; everything, in his mind, seemed... Right.

 _Let's hope that lasts,_ he thought.


	21. Stick It To 'Em

Judy was excited – well, maybe excited wasn't the proper word. Anxious could work, though it was underwhelming for what she felt. Adrenalized could also work, though she wasn't as energetic as that would imply. Pumped, it seemed, would be the best term to use.

"Carrots, could you stop bouncing in your seat?" Nick asked from her left, sounding more amused than annoyed. He was dressed in a casual outfit: Sleek black pants with a simple turquoise turtle-neck shirt. It was better than his usual floral shirt and tacky tie with khakis, but Judy didn't find it as satisfying as his police uniform. She wore a different outfit, though it matched far better: blue jeans with a matching v-neck t-shirt, hidden under an unzipped winter coat of pink that matched her ears.

"I'm not bouncing," she objected. "Just... Floating and falling. Repeatedly." She gave a small grin at her attempted excuse, not letting it falter as Nick gave her a look that clearly said he wasn't impressed. With a shrug, she turned her gaze to the sight outside: a snow-covered street in a portion of Tundratown that hadn't seen love in quite some time. Abandoned buildings were everywhere, broken glass and litter barely visible through the white blanket that coated the land and muffled the sound to a degree that even she couldn't hear very far. Her breath was visible and occasionally fogged up her view from the window, but it cleared away fast enough for her to oversee what they were looking for.

King had parked the group on top of a hill overlooking the apartment where the prey hostages were being held. His white car was relatively well hidden against the snow as they watched the darkened street, quietly listening to the sound of radio chatter over the walkies Nick had brought along. Lucas and his team were in place – a group of six other SWAT officers, in two heavily armored vans, hidden around the corner. Tundratown and Downtown cruisers were parked anywhere that seemed relatively well hidden – in empty garages, dilapidated buildings, or in alleys that were out of immediate sight.

"Can't we turn on the heater?" Nick asked, a slight tremble to his voice.

"Mm-mm," Robin replied from the passenger seat. "Exhaust will give us away."

Nick cursed quietly at the logic being sound, trying to find an alternative to stay warm. It wasn't until Judy heard his teeth clattering together that she turned around to look at him. The poor fox was huddled away from the door, curled up as best he could while rubbing his feet. His tail wound tightly around him, but every once in a while it flicked as the mammal it was attached to gave a shudder. "Nick, why didn't you bring a coat?" Judy asked.

"W-We foxes are supposed to have thicker pelts, for winter," Nick said. "I d-didn't think I'd need one."

"You live in Savannah Central, Nick!" Judy replied, unable to help but smile at his flawed logic, finding it rather amusing and, admittedly, a little cute in its own way. But oh, he could never know that. "Your pelt is going to be thinner because of that, it's like you live in a constant summer!" She chuckled as he gave her a sort of glare, though it was laced with defeat at his mistake. "Do you guys have any spare coats?" She asked, looking to the front seat.

Robin sighed and shifted. "Hang on a second," he said, before the sounds of buttons popping, followed by a zipper being undone, sounded. After some grunting and an awkward hiss, he reached back and offered Nick his charcoal hoodie. The reynard snatched it up immediately and threw it on, giving a sigh of relief as warmth flooded over him.

"Thanks," he said, holding the cloth to him tightly as he huddled up.

Judy took a minute to look over the fox, before grinning. "You know," she said. "You don't look terrible in that thing. I think you could pull it off better than Robin."

The fox in question scoffed. "Really, Hop Along? _Please_ , I invented that look."

"Yes, and Nick just so happens to pull it off better," she shot back. King let out a small "oooooh," making Robin and Nick both snort. The panther laughed, grinning as he looked in the back seat.

"You know what, I think she's right," he said, turning to Robin. The fox looked up at him and squinted his eyes.

"Aw, what the hell, you're supposed to be on my side!" he said, fake anger undermined with his attempt to not laugh.

"Ey, I'm on the _right_ side," the panther replied, holding up his paws. "And you ain't always right!"

"Yeah, well, to all of us you're left," Robin said, grinning.

"Yeah, leaving y'all in the dust," King shot back.

Nick and Judy looked at each other, unable to help but laugh at the resemblance of their banter to their own. "I didn't think anyone did that but us," Nick chuckled.

"What, jab at each other?" King asked. "Me an' Robin have always been like this. Well, after I taught him how to roll with the punches, that is. Slow learner-" The panther broke off with a laugh as Robin reached out to swat at him. "But does well enough to keep up."

"Just like Fluff here," Nick grinned, laughing at the elbow Judy dug into his side. This only worsened as he tried to continue. "Slow at the start, but when she catches on..."

"Nick!" Judy interrupted, grinning just as widely as the fox as he tickled at her side to make her remove her elbow. "Stop it!" she laughed, unbuckling her seatbelt and pushing away from him. Nick's paw trailed after, fingers wriggling for her side, before he pulled away with a laugh.

"I've got your kryptonite, Carrots," he gasped, bringing up his paws in mock awe. "The mightiest weapon of all, able to disarm even the most fierce of fluff-balls!" He wriggled them again, his expression becoming a wide smile as he looked past them and down to her. "Not even the great Officer Toot-Toot can resist them!"

Judy opened her mouth to respond, but it was drowned out by both King and Robin laughing from the front seat. "You two are amazing," the panther said after catching his breath.

"Well, _I'm_ amazing," Nick said. "But we already knew that. Carrots, on the other hand..." The fox cut himself off with a snicker as the rabbit began to swat at him again.

It took a minute for the laughter to die down, and silence filled the car again. It was broken a moment later by King taking in a sharp breath and leaning forward. Every other mammal in the car joined him, peering over the hood and down the hill to the sigh below.

A red semi truck with the words "Cottontail" and something beneath it, scratched out, rolled up to the apartment, a large white trailer being towed behind it. It came to a park outside of the building, and a group of mammals poured out from inside. A wolf with brown fur jumped out of the drivers side, and a jaguar left the passenger side. Both held an assault rifle, Kalashknikovs from the looks of it, and had hip-length black coats with matching pants and boots. The wolf walked to the back of the trailer and unlocked the door, flinging it open as the jaguar walked to the entrance of the building and waited just outside. From inside the trailer jumped out a lioness and a fox, both dressed and armed as the other two were. The inside of the trailer was, aside from the black-clad predators, empty.

The fox walked over to the jaguar, and both went inside the building, leaving the wolf and lioness to guard the truck itself. They looked around and idly spoke, bringing up the collars of their coats to shield them slightly from the occasional gust of wind that tore at them.

"Showtime," King said with a grin, flashing his lights once. On que, the street below sprang to life. SWAT vans and police criusers tore into the open and formed a circle around the building, officers departing their vehicles and taking cover as they shouted for the armed mammals to drop their weapons. The wolf and lioness, both having aimed at the officers until they realized how foolish it was to resist, slowly raised their paws and lowered to their knees, setting the weapons on the ground. It took a moment for police to approach and begin cuffing them, the SWAT members pushing into the building.

A few minutes later, a group of five mammals were being escorted out of the building: The fox and jaguar, a lion, a coyote, and another wolf. Police immediately swarmed them and began to read their rights, cuffing the mammals and shoving them into the backs of cruisers after a thorough patting down. A separate group of officers went into the building and, minutes later, emerged leading a mass of ragged-looking prey mammals, all of whom seemed completely exhausted and hardly able to place one foot in front of the other.

The entire process took less than ten minutes, and Judy jumped up with a fist pump. "Yes! We did it!" Nick grinned beside her and Robin sat up in his seat, King giving a little fist pump.

A small celebration was held as the group passed around high-fours and 'woot-woot's, before settling back into silence. The group stayed in quiet elation at something finally being done about Phraxus, something to help loosen whatever unseen leverege they had on the city.

"Woah, shit," King said suddenly, making Judy and Nick lean forward again. One of the officers of Tundratown, a female cheetah, fell down and was clutching the back of her leg as red stained the snow. Some officers took cover, others dragging their feline partner around the cruiser to give her immediate aid. The officers looked around, trying to find the shooter, until a second shot went out and broke off a cruiser's side mirror, just barely missing the head of a wolf officer.

It was at this moment that a hare from the group being brought outside dove for one of the rifles that the Phraxus members had left on the ground, the police yet to collect all of them. He brought it up and gunfire sounded from below, the sound going from muffled to loud as Robin threw open his door. "Hopps, with me!" he shouted, pulling his mask up as he ran to the side, aimed for one of the buildings just down the hill.

Judy sprang into action, nearly out the door as soon as his closed. But Robin quickly lost her as he entered one of the larger buildings, a three-story brick-walled library. She cursed the fact that, despite a rabbit's natural agility, foxes were naturally faster. Pushing inside, she took a moment to look around – old books were everywhere, graffiti and scorch marks adorning the walls and floor where bored youth had been having a bit of risky fun. Empty spray paint cans, smashed monitors, and similar debris. It seemed, to her, almost post-apocalyptic.

She heard a grunt from somewhere above her, the library's open center letting sound echo throughout the dilapidated building. A quick look around revealed a set of stairs on either side of the entrance just beyond the checkout desk, and she was quick to run up them. On the third floor she could more clearly hear the grunting, and traced it to the source: a side room that had, from the looks of it, once been used for reading. Windows faced down the hill and moonlight streamed through the window, faintly illuminating two figures as they thrashed around on the ground. Judy could faintly make out the smaller form of Robin from the lengthy tails of his coat, but the larger mammal was giving him a good fight, flipping him over and pinning him down with one arm to his neck as they reached for a knife on their belt.

Judy immediately jumped forward and kicked the ocelot off of the fox, sending them across the ground. The pained hiss she heard was distinctly feminine, but the pale green eyes that glared at her from the window held a spite that didn't match. She wore a simple black turtle-neck sweater with a sleek leather vest, several potrusions visible from beneath it, and tight dark brown jeans. A black scarf was wound tightly around her neck.

Robin let out a grunt of thanks as he rose to his feet, Judy offering him a paw to help him up. Both turned to face the ocelot, who flashed a dark grin.

"Esmerelda," Robin said. "How good it is to see you again."

"Red," she spat back. "How's that cut in your side treating you?"

"Just fine; how's the missing teeth I gave you?" he said, the smirk almost visible in his tone. Esmerelda hissed at them, and Judy flipped out her ZPD badge.

"ZPD, you are under arrest!" she said. "I suggest you come with us quietly, miss, or else-"

Judy didn't have time to finish her statement before Esmerelda picked up a random book and threw it at her. Judy ducked, flinching as Robin grunted at a second book hitting him in the forehead. The ocelot reached down to her right and grabbed a sleek, silver sniper rifle, pointing it at Judy and making the rabbit freeze. Just as the trigger was pulled, a book flew from just behind Judy and smacked the barrel down towards the floor, concrete cracking and breaking from the impact. Esmerelda hissed again, not able to chamber another round before Judy was on her, jumping up and kicking her in the chest to send her to the ground.

The ocelot rolled to the side as Judy neared again, pulling something out from under her gray vest – a can not unlike the smoke grenade Robin had used, but it was sky blue rather than green. Judy's eyes widened as the feline smirked and rolled the grenade at her feet, grabbing the rifle she had and turning for the door. White smoke began to fill the room, and Judy immediately began coughing, tears stinging at her eyes.

"Robin," she coughed out. "We need to get out!" Judy began making her way to the door, only to realize that, without the clear moonlight streaming into the room, she coudn't properly see the entrance or exit. The stinging in her eyes and now-flowing tears weren't helping, either, and she tripped over one of the books on the floor. "Robin!" she choked out, wiping at her eyes with her paws – she knew it wasn't exactly a smart reaction, but instinct took over and made her try to remove the irritant from her eyes by rubbing it out.

Gravity left her a second later, arms wrapping around her and lifting her over a shoulder as she was carried from the room. The burning, painful sensation didn't leave her, however, until she was thrust into a frozen world. Her tears began to stick, and all her bare fur slowly began to feel as if it were made of ice. Coughing sounded beside her and, when her vision cleared enough, she turned to see Robin on his paws and knees, rubbing at his eyes as he gave off a few coughs.

Rolling over, Judy looked up at the sky. Stars twinkled in and out of existance, blurring as more tears occasionally slid free from her eyes and a cough made its way from her. The cold of the snowbank Robin had thrown her into was, well, cold, but it was also a comfort from the small burning sensation that the tear gas had done to her.

Both mammals laid there for a minute or two, the silence only breaking when one let out an involuntary cough. It was Judy who finally spoke. "She got away, didn't she?" the rabbit asked.

"Y-Yeah," Robin said. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Judy said. "She dropped a tear gas grenade, she was prepared to be cornered."

"But I could've gotten her," Robin argued. "If I just moved a little faster, didn't hesitate, or watched my footing when I entered the room, I could've-"

"Hey," Judy interrupted. "We all make mistakes. Nobody's perfect. And, besides, you got me out of there. I couldn't see through the gas, and too much of it can kill a small mammal like me... So, thank you."

Robin was silent, not even letting out a cough in response. She could feel his anxiety, his worry, from where she lay. But there was also anger and frustration mixed in. Internally, she debated on whether or not to hold her tongue on asking the reynard beside her about what he had said to Esmerelda, before letting her curiousity get the better of her. "Robin?" she asked, able to his head turn slightly to look at her curiously. "What did you mean when you asked how her missing teeth were doing? She didn't have any blood on her, you couldn't have knocked one out up there."

Robin was quiet as he looked away, clearly debating if he should be honest or not. "I may or may not have lied when I said I didn't know her personally at the diner," he admitted. "We did meet, a few times in fact, back before all this started. She was attacking my uncle when I let my anger get the better of me..."

Judy waited for the fox to continue, opting to prompt him when he remained quiet. "What happened?"

Robin licked his lips, ears folding against his head. "I uh... Took my father's baton, and swung. I didn't know what I was going, so of course I missed the first swing. But the second caught her in the mouth. I almost kept hitting her, blinded, but... Uncle Victor stopped me."

"Uncle Victor?" Judy asked, sitting up.

Robin cast Judy a sideways glance, and she could feel his guard rise immediately. He was quiet for little over a minute before speaking. "Hopps... Can I trust you to keep a secret? One that lives depend on?"

Judy's ears drooped slightly. She hadn't expected this question to crop up from Robin. But, filled with resolve, she nodded. "Of course," she said.

Robin stared for a second before dropping his head. "Nick and I are cousins. His father's name is Victor Wilde, he was with my father on Outback Island when I was there. He had to move there for job purposes, but when shit hit the fan for us, he was ultimately left on the island while the rest of us came back here."

Judy widened her gaze as she looked over the fox beside her, taking in the information. Robin and Nick were cousins? And he had been with Nick's father some time ago? But with the way he spoke...

"He's alive, isn't he?" Judy asked.

Robin shot Judy a desperate look. "You _can't_ tell Nick. If Phraxus finds out that his dad didn't kill me, they'll leak information on every job he's ever been forced to do for them, and hunt down his wife, and Nick."

"He was supposed to kill you?" Judy gasped.

"The other night, when you guys took in those three amateurs? He was waiting until later to come kill me. But... he didn't know it was me. When he found out, he gave me the information I let you two copy, and told me about the hostages. He's out hiding now, with my father."

Judy sat and processed the information, before pushing herself to her feet. "I won't tell Nick," she said, making Robin cast her a grateful look as he pushed himself upright. "But he needs to know. Soon."

"I know," Robin stated. "I'd have told him that night if I could, but I can't risk Phraxus finding out. After what my uncle did, it's the very least I could do to save his hide." The two started walking back to King's car, the crunching of snow sounding beneath their feet as they neared.

"You keep alluding to something that happened before Phraxus... What is it?" Judy asked once the car came into view.

"Maybe I'll tell you some other time, Hop Along. But not today." Robin looked down at her and offered a smile, which she returned after a light punch to his arm.

"I think I'll let you keep that one nickname," She said. "As long as you keep your promise."

"Somehow I think that's a fair trade," he chuckled, climbing into the car once he neared his door.

"Yo, so what happened?" King asked, starting the engine and slowly sending the car down the hill.

"We ran into Esmerelda, she dropped a bunch of tear gas grenades," Robin replied.

Nick looked down at Judy with worry, looking over her. "Carrots, you're alright, right?" he asked.

Judy nodded and smiled brightly, fighting off a cough from the gas. "Just fine. That gas burns, though," she admitted. Nick nodded, before narrowing his eyes and leaning down to her level for a moment.

"Hold still," he muttered, reaching up with a paw to wipe just under one of her eyes. Judy looked up, confused, as Nick pulled away. "You had a tear," he said with a smile. His ears were tilted slightly back, and the forced nature of his smile told Judy that he was, if nothing else, a little nervous as to what he had done.

"Alright," King said. "Let's check in."

The four mammals piled out of the car and started walking to the collection of officers. Three of them stepped forward, all unfamiliar to Nick and Judy, and held up their paws and hoof, telling them to stop. Nick and Judy flashed their ZPD badges, and the three officers – a zebra, coyote, and a female panther – told them they could pass, but neither King or Robin, since they weren't members of the ZPD.

"Is their a chief here?" Judy asked. "We need to speak to one of them."

The female panther looked at her partners before nodding, walking off and returning with both Precinct chiefs in tow minutes later. Chief Bogo snorted as he neared the group, and the elephant behind him held a similar set of stars indicating their rank, the name "Phanti" gleaming on their badge. Out of sheer habit, Nick and Judy both straightened their backs, and even King and Robin followed suit slightly.

"So," Chief Bogo said, crossing his arms. "You two couldn't have come and found us yourselves?"

"No, sir, as these two," Judy gestured to Robin and King as she spoke. "Wouldn't be allowed past this point."

"And with good reason," Phanti said, leering down upon the two in question. Her voice was tinged with an eastern accent. "Why are they here in the first place?"

"These two are important assets and key witnesses to these events," Nick said, paws held just behind his back. Phanti snorted, clearly unimpressed by the fox's response.

"Ignoring that," Chief Bogo said. "What did you need us for, Hopps?"

"We wanted to make sure this was all taken care of, sir. There's no need for us to stick around tonight?" she asked.

"You two are out of uniform," Phanti interrupted. "Why would you even be here in the first place?"

"A little something called 'blending in'," Nick quipped. "It's surprisingly effective, should try it sometime."

"Shut it, Wilde!" Bogo snapped, before sighing. "To answer your question, Hopps, yes. Everyone here is fine. Our only problem is that the hare got away, and the sniper nearly took out an officer."

"Sir," Robin said, stepping forward. He ignored the scathing look Phanti gave him, and didn't buckle under Bogo's intense stare. "How are the officers doing? I know that shots were fired, but beyond that, I've got nothing."

"And why should it concern you? Why does _this_ ," Phanti said, waving around her hoof. "Concern you, _lomri_?" (Fox)

Chief Bogo opened his mouth to snap at the other chief, but Robin cut him off before he could speak, each word rising until he was shouting. "Why does this concern me, ma'am? Because I'm the only reason we even knew about these mammals. I'm the one who helped set up half this operation, and I'm the reason your sniper only let out two shots. I feel pretty entitled to be involved with this! I don't need some snobby Precinct chief telling me off because I'm not an officer! I've put my ass on the line every bit as much as any of the mammals here, and," his tone fell to a hiss at this point. "I feel like I deserve a little more respect. So I'd honestly either help like an officer should, or shove that attitude of yours up your ass."

Everyone fell silent, and Judy felt her pelt growing hot as everyone's gaze turned to them. Chief Phanti looked taken aback, and Bogo was staring at Robin with a horrified expression that was slowly turning to anger. Whispers began to sound from the officers, muttering about how "The fox fucked up" or they "Hope he enjoyed walking while it lasted."

As Chief Bogo opened his mouth to harshly scold Robin, Phanti's loud laugh interrupted him. And this wasn't a simple chuckle or snicker of amusement, it was full-blown uncontrolled laughter that rolled from her mouth and filled the frozen air. She leaned back and blew from her trunk once, before bringing it up to wipe at the smallest formation of a tear on her right eye. "You, I like you," she said, crouching down. "What is your name, fox?"

Robin stared at her, briefly caught off-guard, before shaking his head. "R-Robin. Robin Wick."

Chief Phanti brought her trunk down and pat the top of his head, to which Robin visibly strained to not flinch. "Robin Wick. Not many are bold enough to call me out like that. You say it was you who helped us find these poor mammals?" The reynard nodded. "Then I thank you for your aid."

Judy let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, able to hear most mammals around her doing the same. Even Chief Bogo seemed to have to let out a sigh of relief. " Fortunately, Officer Talens will need only a short time to heal from her injury, and Rhinowitz managed to take most of the hare's gunfire. It wasn't a high enough caliber to get through his vest, though he will have some light bruising come morning," the buffalo stated. Chief Phanti stood up and nodded.

"You all go home. We can take things from here, and will keep both Officers Hopps and Wilde posted," she said.

"Thank you, ma'am," Nick said, both officers and Robin saluting before they turned away. As they walked off, Judy could hear the chiefs talk behind them, seeing them off.

"He isn't an officer, correct?" Phanti asked.

"Not that I'm aware of. But he's got the making of a good one." Chief Bogo replied.

"I call dibs," Phanti declared.

Bogo snorted. "After the antelope from the academy? I don't think so, it's my turn."

"Come now, Adrian, you got both the rabbit and fox firsts! That makes up for it, doesn't it?"

"Not by a longshot," Bogo said, humor filling his tone before he let out a grunt, Chief Phanti having shoved him lightly.

Judy suppressed a snicker as she climbed back into the car beside Nick, Robin and King quietly buckling in. As he started the car, King spoke up. "You are one _crazy_ motherfucker, Robin. Telling off a police chief like that? And an _elephant_ no less? She could've squashed you no problems!"

"You only just now realized that I'm crazy?" Robin asked.

"Nah, just reminding you," King said.

Judy looked over to Nick, both grinning as they listened to the banter. It was just as amusing to listen as it was to do, they realized.

~ óÓÒò ~

 **So, now that I've done this allusion for the 5th-ish time, I have a question for you all: Would you like to see a prequel story revolving more around how Robin evolved into Dust, and the events that he keeps speaking of? Or would you prefer I try to condense it into a single chapter at an appropriate time? Feel free to let me know. I'm still working on my other stories as well, don't you worry! But my writing seems to flow best for this particular story at the moment.**


	22. Planning

Nick yawned and stretched from his bed, his covers being brushed aside as he did so. Mid-morning light streamed through his window as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he stood and ambled over to the bathroom. With next to no thought, he went through his morning motions: toilet, shower, teeth, dressing. After roughly a half hour, he had stepped into his living room and stretched for the second time, smacking his lips as he went to the kitchen.

"Carrots, what do you want for breakfast this mor-" Nick froze as he passed the couch, memory trickling into his mind. Judy had, for once, not stayed at his apartment. King had dropped her off at the Grand Pangolin Arms before bringing Nick to his own apartments, the Golden Krown (Why it was spelled that way, he had no idea). The fox slowly turned around and looked over his living room, the couch barren of blankets and pillows.

Nick frowned. His apartment felt strangely... Empty. He had gotten used to waking up in the same place as Judy, either one making a quick breakfast as the other got ready for work. They could either eat separately or together before making the way to the Precinct for a long day of dealing with Bogo or putting up with Robin. Today, though, was different. He had a day off – one of the surprisingly few the chief had given himself and Judy since they began making the biggest pile of paperwork the buffalo had ever seen.

Breakfast was a quick meal of leftover pancakes and a blueberry topping, with a strawberry syrup drizzle on top. It tasted amazing – as should anything made with the Hopps' family produce. Judy was always sure to get Nick some fresh produce from her family's farm whenever someone visited – which was often. And, though he knew she'd deny it, he knew she gave him half of her own helping of blueberries.

Left with noting that required his immediate attention, Nick fell onto his couch with a small huff after cleaning up from his meal. He idly flicked on the TV and began to flip through the channels. "Crap, crap, news, ads, more crap," he mumbled as he went through the channels. He finally rested on a station that played old movies – right now, it was _Catsablanca_ , a classic that Nick had never managed to sit through.

With the movie running in the background, Nick picked his phone up from the coffee table where he'd left it overnight, and began to go through his notifications. Furbook activity, ZooTube uploads, and a few texts. One was from Finnick, sarcastically asking how being a cop was. Nick replied just as sarcastically, saying that it had nothing on hustling. One was from his cell phone carrier, with some kind of new deal he knew he wouldn't take up. And lastly, one from Judy – that one he saved for last. He opened it and looked at her profile picture, a personal favorite he had snuck some time ago.

In it, Judy was curled up in the driver's seat of their cruiser. She was dressed in layers, her ZPD outfit hidden away underneath a hoodie and sweats. A police blue scarf was wound around her neck, and her ears were resting against her back as she held a cup of steaming coffee to her lips. It had been taken during a stakeout in Tundratown the previous year, where she and Nick had helped take down a serial arsonist. Warmth spread in the fox's chest as he looked at the image, and a near-inexplicable feeling of what he interpreted as happiness spread through him. Clearing his mind, he shook his head and read the text.

'Hey Nick, mind if I stop by? Bucky and Pronk are at it again and I want to escape'

Nick suppressed a laugh. He knew how much Judy had grown to be annoyed by her neighbors and cramped living conditions. He had actually offered to help her find a better apartment, but she had refused, saying that she wanted to just save up some money and then she'd look. But still, he'd been keeping an eye out for a place she might like – even if she insisted she was just fine where she was. 'Sure thing, Carrots. U know ur welcome any time' he replied.

It didn't take long for her to send him a response. 'Thanks, Nick! I'll be over in a bit'

Nick nodded, sending her a smiley face before laying along his couch and turning his head to look outside. It was a nice day, few clouds, and not too humid or hot. Then again, it could be his air conditioner helping out, but it hadn't been on just yet. He continued to stare, letting his mind wander about as he waited.

From the weather, his mind drifted to how he should be spending his days off. Undoubtedly, he'd end up having to go out and interact with other mammals at some point – not something he was against, but he did feel like lounging around inside today. Judy would probably drag him to the park to get him some sunlight, where she would join in on some games and slowly coax Nick into doing the same. If he was lucky, he might run into Finnick when he wasn't 'on the clock' – as an officer, he was obligated to put aside his friendship and arrest him, even if off-duty, but if Finnick wasn't caught doing anything wrong, he could treat the fennec as the old friend he was.

Of course, if that happened, the two would likely end up dragging Judy to a bar with them. She'd be against it at first, but she'd go along just to make sure neither of the tods got into trouble or drank too much, maybe even having a drink of something herself. Or Nick could end up watching her, and she would end up getting into a drinking competition with Finnick. That was always an amusing topic for him to think about: a drunken Judy trying to drink more than Finnick, who could easily down his own body weight in beer and still be relatively okay to walk.

A knocking at the door interrupted his thoughts. Nick swiftly rose off the couch and started walking towards the door, looking down and smoothing out his current outfit – ZPD tank top and navy blue sweatpants. After feeling satisfied with his appearance, he nodded once and opened the door, prepared to greet Judy and welcome her in – only, it wasn't her.

Robin stood at the door, dressed in cargo sweats and an asymetrical hoodie, one side angling further down to his knee while the other stopped at his waist. In true Robin 'style', the entire outfit was black, and he had his single strap backpack on. Nick couldn't help but let his lips fall to show his slight disappointment before he regained his composure, letting his old smirk fall into place. "Ah, Robin. To what do I owe pleasure?" he said, with only a hint of sarcasm.

"Hello, Nick," Robin said, voice quiet. He sounded stressed, or saddened by something. "Don't look so happy to see me."

"Who, me? Oh, I'm just ecstatic," Nick replied. "It's not every day that the fox who's led to my car getting totalled and my side filled with glass comes for a visit!"

Robin's response was a sigh. "That's... Actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Hopps, too – is she here?"

"Carrots? Nah, she's not here," Nick said. "Though I was waiting on her."

"Right, well... I suppose I can just tell you and trust you to pass on the message?" Robin asked. Nick shrugged, before nodding and leaning against the doorway, arms folded.

"Let me hear it," Nick said.

Robin took a deep breath, as if steadying himself. "I wanted to tell you both that I'm sorry for all of this. This entire, crazy, stupid scenario, getting you both hurt, dragging you two around by your tails... You shouldn't have to put up with all this crap, or me. I didn't mean to get you two involved, not like this. I wanted to get all the information I could, and bring it to the ZPD, but things sort of went to hell and all of this happened. Now I'm not entirely sure who to trust, aside from a few, and I'm deciding to fix this the only way I think works.

"I'm leaving this, as it were. I'll be helping still, but I'm not going to drag you or Judy around anymore. I have a meeting tomorrow night, and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get the information the hard drive lost then. I'll pass it off to you, and go from there. Until all this is resolved though... You likely won't see me again. I'm sorry to you both."

Nick waited a moment, nodding shallowly as Robin talked, and waited until he was done before speaking. "Ya done?" Nick checked. Robin nodded. "Good. Then listen to me. Your idea to 'fix this' isn't going to work. Ah-buhbuhbuh-" he said, holding up a paw as Robin started to interrupt. "That's not to say I doubt you or anything like that. No, what I'm saying is, it won't make anyone feel better or do better. In fact, it puts you at risk, and us as well. We've made more progress on this _together_ than apart. So why does splitting apart now make sense? It doesn't," he said, turning to walk into his apartment. He went to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water, turning to wave Robin in and motioning for him to shut the door.

"Much as I hate to admit it, your friend was onto something last night when he stopped me from following you and Judy. Do you know what he told me?" When Robin shook his head, Nick continued. "He told me, basically: We work better, together. Maybe as separate teams, yes, but still together. If you and Judy had driven the shooter to the car, it would've been better to have us there, as opposed to just one mammal. And he was right about that."

Robin stood silently on the other side of Nick's counter, listening, before he gave a shallow nod. "Then what should I do, huh?" he asked.

"Don't just run off, for starters," Nick said. "Phraxus has been targeting you primarily. Going solo just makes it easier to take you out. You said you had a meeting for tomorrow? Then let's set up a way to check it together. Like you said, we can go from there."

Robin waited a minute longer before nodding again. "Alright," he muttered. "I'll wait, work things out with you and Hopps. Should we all just meet somewhere tonight?"

Nick shrugged. "Couldn't hurt, right? Besides, it could take Carrots a bit to get here, depending on how she decides to do it."

"Right. But I'm leaving it up to you where we go to eat," Robin said. Nick grinned.

"But I'm not paying. Deal?" he said.

"Deal," Robin replied.

Without another word, the taller fox walked out of Nick's apartment. Nick watched him shut the door before nodding and walking back to his couch, replaying his conversation with King last night back into his head.

 _Nick pushed himself to the door as Judy jumped out, ready to follow her and Robin. If there were shots being fired, he didn't want to leave Judy. But King put a paw in front of him, stopping the reynard. "Hey, hold up," he said._

 _"Hold up?" Nick asked. "My partner's running off to where there's being shots fired, I'm going with her."_

 _"My partner's doing that, too. You think I wanna just sit here and wait? Hell naw." The panther took a deep breath, and steam began to pour from his mouth as he spoke, the inside of the car growing colder with the open door. "Look, we all work well together – well enough to start hurting Phraxus, right? But we stick to our old teams. If we want to work together, better, we gotta split up a bit. Robin's putting a lot of trust in Judy to watch his back – and I'm sure she's doing the same. She'd rather have you there, but she knows about taking risks._

 _"Think of it this way. Say the shooter gets away from them, but heads in this direction – one of two available. We can cut them off and catch them here. But I can't do that alone, and you can't either, so we gotta do this together. Make sense?"_

 _Nick looked at the panther, quietly processing the words. There was logic there, yes, but that didn't change the fact that he didn't want to let Judy run towards gunfire with a mammal they had been trying to bring to custody not long before._

Come on, take a risk. Try everything, _a little voice in his mind said. Sounded an awful lot like Judy, too. And so, he nodded, sitting back in his seat._

 _"Good," King said. "Now hey, shut the door, it's freezing out there."_

Of course, Nick had relayed why he hadn't gone with Judy and Robin to her on the way home. She was slightly worried at first, but it gave way to understanding after a bit of King's input and explanation.

Nick looked up sharply at the sound of his door opening again, Judy stepping inside. She was dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a pink plaid shirt, a plain pink t-shirt showing underneath. "Heya, Slick," she said, as if annoucing her presence. Nick grinned.

"If it isn't my favorite little vegetable," he commented. "Was wondering when you'd get here!"

"And if it isn't my favorite couch potato," she shot back. "No wonder you can get winded so easily."

Nick chuckled and waved the rabbit inside, turning his attention back to the TV as it ran the credits for _Catsablanca_. It took some effort, but he bit back a retort he knew was hidden in some crappy old romance movie he'd seen. Instead, he opted to change subjects and get one of the less desired tasks at hand out of the way. "Robin stopped by," he said.

"He did?" Judy asked, jumping to the couch cushion at Nick's feet. He wriggled them lightly to try and tickle at her sides, to which she giggled lightly and swat at them. "What'd he want?" she asked.

"To apologize for, and I quote: 'dragging us around by our tails', 'getting my car totalled and us hurt', and for us 'putting up with his crap.' He also said he was planning on going solo after tonight, but I told him otherwise." Nick said, beginning to flip through the TV channels again.

Judy wrinkled her nose, slightly in confusion. "He really said that? Even though _we're_ the ones who decided to help out and not bring him in?" Nick nodded, to which Judy gave a laugh. "We told him, didn't we? 'You make it sound like we have a choice'."

"That we did, Carrots, glad to see your memory is as sharp as ever." Nick said.

"Sharper than your wit," she said, giving him an amused sideways look.

"Carrots, you wound me," Nick said, planting a paw over his heart. "I thought we were friends."

"Friends, yes, but a liar I am not," Judy stated.

"Ouch," Nick muttered, though he was unable to suppress the grin spreading across his muzzle.

óÓÒò ~

The day dragged on, until later in the evening when Nick and Judy were meant to meet with Robin and King at a restaurant in the Rainforest District, called the Rainforest Café. Despite the name, it was an actual restaurant with a casino design, poker tables and different sets of cards adorning the walls. One small portion of the restaurant was even filled with slot machines for any mammal who was willing (or drunk) enough to try their luck.

For Nick and Judy, the place was a different setting. While Nick's daydreams of meeting up with Finnick and one of the officers taking care of the other while they drank a little too much hadn't come to fruition, he and Judy had spent most of the day watching TV on his couch, mocking the old movies they decided to stick with. Laughs were shared, snacks thrown, and a good time overall was had. But when the time was reaching late enough, they began to clean and get ready to make the trek to where Robin and Nick had decided to meet up.

The fox and panther were already seated and waiting for Judy and Nick when they entered, a badger waiter showing them the way. When handed their menus, Nick was surprised to see a fair helping of predator-friendly meals available. Of course, with a rabbit at the table, it went unsaid that those meals wouldn't be eaten tonight – so instead he opted for a grilled cheese and tomato soup meal. King had a helping of tofu alfredo, Robin ordered a salad, and Judy decided to try a potato curry that was available.

As the waiter took their menus before heading to the kitchen, orders written down and ready to be handed off, an uneasy silence fell onto the group. It felt somewhere between business and curiousity. Nick cleared his throat, linking his paws together and setting them on the table. "So, what were we all here for again?" he asked.

"Right," Robin muttered, running a paw over his muzzle. It was clear he was agitated, or anxious. "Tomorrow night, nine o'clock, Moonlit Rose. Before I talked to Lucas, I got a call telling me to meet whoever it was there, at that time. I've got a feeling it was Frost, and if I'm right, he'll have the missing information from the hard drive. I was going to do it alone, but Nick made a good point to not. So, I got a few earpieces we can use to talk to one another while doing this; they're in my bag."

"Right. So how should we do this?" Judy asked, taking a sip of her glass of water. The table was left in silence briefly, the only noise being from the speakers and other patrons, and ambient music, all of which helped keep their conversation from easily reaching unwanted ears.

Nick spoke again, ears rising as he got the idea. "Simple," he said. "Two of us head in, the other two stay outside and wait in the parking lot. The two that go in get whatever we need, then come back out and get to the ZPD with it."

"Alright," Robin said. "But who's going with me?" He looked around the table, almost expectantly. King held up his paws.

"Aye, I gotta drive," he said. Robin nodded, before turning to look at Nick and Judy.

Nick nudged Judy's shoulder with his elbow. "Hey Carrots, you've already gotten to run off with Robin. I should probably go this time," he said, referring to what King said the night before. The rabbit nodded, stretching.

"I'm okay with that," she said. "Besides, the less walking around I have to do, the better – that gas gave me a cough that's not going away easily."

Nick frowned at this; he knew about the tear gas, he could smell it on Judy once she returned to the car with Robin, both covered in snow and water. He also knew that too much exposure for _any_ mammal could be permanently harmful to their health. But he didn't know how long Judy had been exposed to it, how much she'd breathed in, how much it hurt. That part bothered him.

Almost as much as the stares he could feel the group getting. The fur on the back of his neck was slightly rising from it, and given the slight twitching of Robin's ears and King's shifting gaze, they were aware of it as well.

It was an odd group, he supposed. Two foxes, a pather, and a rabbit. _One of these things is not like the other,_ he thought, amused.

"I've been there before," Robin said. "They frisk mammals down pretty well. But I refuse to go in with just my bare paws."

"You got claws, you'll be fine," King said.

"You know what I mean," Robin huffed. "Baton, knife, something, anything. But they won't let me in otherwise."

"Do you really need to bring a weapon with you?" Judy asked skeptically.

"I only beat the intruders _because_ I had a weapon. And hey, the enemy is mainly predators – of which, foxes are on the smaller side," Robin said. "My melee skills are a little lacking, I think."

"And you really think they're going to go after you at the club?" Nick asked.

"Wouldn't doubt it," King said. "They got to him in his house, a club is ten times easier."

"So then we've got the problem of either convincing you to go in unarmed, or getting you in armed," Judy said. "Any ideas?"

The group took a break here as their waiter came by and delivered to the group their meals. The typical rounds of thanking the waiter, getting drinks refilled, and a moment of silent eating occurred before anyone decided to speak again.

"Your badge," Robin said, looking at Judy.

The rabbit paused at bringing her spoonful of soup to her mouth, staring up at Robin curiously. "My badge?" she said.

"Your badge," he repeated. "Flash a ZPD badge and you can get away with a baton or something."

"I can't just give you my badge," Judy said, looking around the table. "That could put me on desk duty for a month if Bogo finds out, on a good day – which never happens. Worst? I get fired."

"Then I'll give it to Nick when we get inside or when we leave," Robin said.

"We could still get in a lot of trouble," Nick pointed out.

"C'mon, don't make them put their jobs on the line," King said, leaning down to Robin, who just shook his head and muttered 'jobs or a life?', to which King slapped him in the back of the head. "Your blowing it out of proportion. Use your brain for once."

"I am," Robin said. "Unlike you. Think about it, they get me while I'm unarmed? Even with Nick helping, that's not gonna do me any good if-"

"Are you saying we don't know how to fight?" Judy asked.

Robin looked at her, shaking his head. "No, I'm not saying that, I'm saying-"

"Then you're doubting us," she accused. Robin opened his mouth, but quickly snapped it shut.

"We can defend ourselves and other pretty well," Nick said. "It's in our job description, you know." He added a small smirk before taking a sip from his soup.

"I... Have a very serious problem going anywhere unarmed. You really can't let me?" Robin asked, tone almost becoming a whine, like a child who wasn't getting his way.

Nick was about to reply before Judy sighed. "I'll look over the policies about it tomorrow. _Maybe_ you can briefly take it as part of an 'investigation'. But I'm not going to promise anything, so don't get your hopes up."

Robin gave her a thankful look, before taking a bite of his salad. Nick, if anything, felt annoyed by the other tod's actions – reduced to whining because he couldn't bring his flashy baton or knife. Both of which were items Nick made a mental note to check the legality of. Even if Robin helped immensely with the case, carrying an illegal weapon would not help him in any way. Assault would be the last thing to worry about as far as he was concerned.

After that conversation, dinner talk became less of a strict, business-like discussion, and more of a conversation between mammals just catching up. King was proud of the new upgrades his car had gotten – some adjustments to the frame for a sleeker design, upgrades for handling, etc. Judy brought up the idea of taking a trip to her family when everything was over – that one caught Nick's attention, and Judy was insistent that he come along, despite his idle attempts to deny it. Eventually, though, he gave in like he knew he would – though he didn't miss the subtle whipping motion King made, or Robin's silent chuckle.

Nick asked King about places to get a new car at, since his old one was totalled. The panther just asked for what kind the reynard would like, and he'd do the rest. Robin mentioned that his grandpa owned a body shop in Savannah Central, and that he might be able to help out. Judy asked if he could make long distance trips or help order parts for her family's dying old pickup, and Robin said he'd look into it.

Throughout the meal and conversation, Nick felt eyes on the group, but as time wore on, it lessened and left him more comfortable. Comfortable enough, in fact, that he'd started telling old jokes – the good kind, rather than the cheesy pun-based ones Judy was so often tormented with at work.

Apparantly, patrons on the other side of the restaurant could hear some bouts of laughter so well they complained, and so the group was promptly asked if they wanted a dessert, before being given the bill. King paid for the meal this time around, and before long, the group parted ways. Judy and Nick declined an offer to be given a ride home, opting instead to take a walk and train ride to their respective apartments.

Nick said goodbye to Judy outside her apartment, before trudging back home, humming one of the tunes played in the restaurant. The food was good enough, he decided, that he and Judy should stop there one night for a meal.

 _So, a date.  
It's not like that.  
Oh, sure it isn't. Movie nights, sleeping over for long periods of time, spare keys. No no, it's not at all like that.  
It's friendship. A good one at that.  
You have half of her clothes at home. Your fridge is filled with mainly her favorite food.  
She stops by often, so what? And hey, she likes what I like.  
Keep telling yourself that._

Nick shook his head as he walked into his apartment building's main lobby. Katy looked up from her newspaper as he walked past. "Uh-oh," she said.

Nick paused with one foot in the elevator before he leaned out and looked at the badger. He had heard her say that enough times that he knew when she had caught on to something. "'Uh-oh' what?"

"I've seen that look before, Nicky," she said. "Who're you thinking about?"

"No one," Nick said.

"Heard that one before, too," Katy replied, grinning. "You know I notice all these things. Bet you twenty I know who it is, too."

"If you've guessed no one, you've earned your money," Nick replied, stuffing his paws into his pockets.

Katy rolled her eyes, getting up from her seat and walking over to Nick. "You know," she said, "You can't ignore whatever you're feeling. If it feels forced in one way or another, slow down, but don't ignore it. You've loosened up ever since you helped solve that Night Howler case, but you're still a closed book to even yourself at times."

"The inner mechanisms of my mind are an enigma," Nick said, smiling smugly. "Not even I understand them."

"Which is a load of bull," Katy snorted. She brushed a few crumbs of bread from the fox's shirt. "Just keep that in mind, okay? Open up to yourself, if nothing else."

Nick's response was a nod, accompanied by the fox rolling his eyes. Katy returned the gesture with a shake of her head before going back to her desk. "Now go to bed, it's late," she said.

"Yes, _ma_ ," Nick chuckled, before stepping into the elevator. He stifled his laughter as he was brought upwards, Katy's words rolling around in his mind.

She was right; the fact that he wasn't sure how he felt wasn't a good thing. He added it to the list of things he needed to work on.

óÓÒò ~

 **Finally got the writing juices flowing again – I'm so sorry for that disappearance! Literally every time I wanted to write, it began to turn into something completely different, until I sat down and started that, but then my creativity and muse just went dark. It was a needed break, though, as I realized I wasn't entirely satisfied with the chapters I've put out recently. They feel rushed, half-baked. Admittedly, this one may be subject to the same criticism. Which is why I'm going to start taking things a little slower – if I don't feel satisfied with what I've written, I won't just push it out the door. You guys deserve quality from me, not quantity. And this goes for all my stories, not just ANFiT.**

 **I'm also going to work on responding to reviews starting now – it's a great way to get feedback and criticism I've yet to use, for some strange reason.**

 **Hope to see you all again soon, either here, or with one of my other works.**

 **~ óÓÒò ~**

 **N'yrthghar**


	23. Spiral

Robin took a deep breath as he steadied himself. Despite all he had done to prepare Nick, Judy, and himself, he couldn't help but be shaking with anticipation. He was, he knew, going to meet Frost, face to face, for the first time. They would get enough information on Phraxus to put the group behind bars for a long time. And, of course, he could get his car back.

And that was all well and good, except that there was a constant tickling in the back of his mind about tonight. Something about it was setting him on a permanent edge, and he was becoming paranoid.

King's voice interrupted his thoughts, making the fox shake his head and ask him for a repeat. "We're here," the panther said, nodding to the neon sign not far from where they had parked. The name of the bar, "Moonlit Rose", was glowing purple, a similarly bright green flower stem leading to the red outline of a neon rose.

The bar (though more of a club, in reality) was a fairly popular one, and always kept clean. Among all of the places to go for a drink in the city, this was among those you went to if you didn't mind spending a little extra cash. The building was large, a total of three stories, and brightly lit. Music faintly thumped from inside, and the silhouettes of dancing or conversing mammals were able to made out from outside. A grizzly bear stood beside a sheep at the entrance, both finely dressed in suits and idly gazing over each mammal that entered. They, of course, stopped each one and did a brief patting-down after an ID check, before letting (most) patrons in. Those who were clearly too drunk to mean any good, or who refused to be pat down, weren't allowed to enter, among others.

"Alright, Nick. Let's go." Robin slowly opened up the door and jumped out, stuffing his paws into his pockets and hiking up the collar on his coat as he walked to the entrance. Nick stepped up beside him, and Robin cast a swift glance over him: the older reynard had donned a simple suit, khaki pants with a white v-neck shirt under a black casual button-up, sleeves rolled up. Robin was wearing something far more his style: Black cargo pants, tucked into his boots of course, with a simple navy blue shirt beneath his unique knee-length pleather vest. Two belts ran around the midsection, above the pockets, and the zipper that held it closed only ran from his waist to his mid-chest. Both had a small earpiece, a four-way call running for Judy and King to communicate with them.

"You don't look fit for a club," Nick commented. "More like a biker gang."

"And you look like you just left the office in a rush to sneak some drinking before coming home to the missus," Robin replied. "Neither of us scream 'clubbers', but they'll let us in."

"I dunno yo, you both dumb enough to be a club in my book," King snickered. It was a half-assed attempt at an insult, but it helped ease Robin's nerves.

"Don't make me come back there," Robin said in response.

"Come on," Judy's voice sounded in Robin's earpiece, her voice clearly trying to suppress a chuckle. "You can pass for clubbers. Better than I could, at least."

"Clubbers. I forgot that was even a word," Nick muttered. Robin grunted in amusement, before stopping before the sheep and bear bouncers.

"ID?" the bear grumled, the sheep leaning down to examine them as both foxes lifted their wallets and flashed their respective identification.

"Alright. We gotta pat you two down, though," The sheep said, his voice sounding as if he hadn't had a drink in quite some time. Both foxes nodded and shifted their feet apart, lifting their arms up to be pat down. Robin's ear flicked as the sheep brushed against where his baton usually sat, the lack of weight there bringing his anxiety back.

The sheep took a step back and let in a deep breath before nodding. "You're good to go," he said, waving the mammals in. Robin nodded a thanks as Nick muttered the same, both mammals entering the club.

Robin hadn't been to a club in a long time, and it had always caught him off guard when he entered one. Nick seemed to be right at home, however. He slid into a smooth expression that spoke of experience in this environment, the fox easily brushing past larger mammals as he led Robin towards the bar. The smaller fox kept his paws in his pockets as he trailed after Nick, careful to keep his tail from being stepped on by the larger patrons, most of whom weren't entirely sober. Once they reached the bar, Nick jumped up to a seat, ordering something as Robin joined him.

"So, what's the full plan?" Nick asked, leaning over. Robin drew out his phone, checking for messages.

"Gotta wait for him to tell me where he is. Since it's... 2049, he should be getting around to me soon." Robin replied. "For now, we play the waiting game."

"Didn't I tell you to stop with the military time?" King asked, barely audible over the sounds of the club.

"Come make me," Robin shot back, ordering a whiskey sour.

~ óÓÒò ~

Judy stared at the entrance to the Moonlit Rose fretfully. She knew that Nick and Robin would have things covered, but it did little to ease her tensions. She realized, this must be how Nick felt the other night, when she had run off to the abandoned library to help Robin.

She looked around King's car in an attempt to relax. It was nice, kept very clean, with black leather seats. The dials and buttons for the radio were lit up dimly, for various radio stations, controlling the temperature, and surprisingly, for seat warmers. Her eyes turned to the small backpack in the back seat.

 _"If anything happens, grab the backpack and bring it to me," Robin said. "I'll need it."_

Hopefully, nothing would happen to make either fox need the rabbit to come running into the club.

"Oh shit," King muttered, catching the rabbit's attention. His voice was filled with dread as he sat up in his seat, and Judy turned to see what he was commenting on.

A line of black vehicles, a pickup and three SUVs, drove into the lot and parked near the front of the building. The driver of the first vehicle, the pickup, got out and walked over to the bouncers out front. The lion spoke to them for a brief moment, before drawing out a sheet of paper and holding it up. Both mammals out front, with clear reluctance, nodded and waved them on, the small convoy driving around to the back of the building.

"I mean, that _could_ just be nothing," Judy said in an attempt to stay optimistic, though she felt otherwise.

"I still don't trust it,"

"Nick, Robin, you there?" she asked.

"Ye- We're he-" Nick replied, his voice cutting in and out over the sound of the music. "Whaddya -eed?"

"Listen, there's a bunch of black cars that drove around the building," Judy said. "I don't promise it's them, but be on your guard, okay?"

"Wha- -'s that, Ho- - ong?" Robin asked.

"Nick? Robin?" Judy asked, frowning as she tapped the earpiece. The signal for their call began to fade in and out. The rabbit frowned. "I really don't like this," she said.

"I know," King said. "If all goes to hell one of us can jump in there and save their asses."

"If all goes to hell," Judy said. "We'll need to figure out a new plan."

"Why do you think we have the call going?" King asked.

"But if the call doesn't work, like right now, then what?" Judy replied. She placed a paw under her chin as she thought things over, her foot tapping furiously at air. "This was a hasty plan," she admitted. "I guess we'll have to see how this plays out."

~ óÓÒò ~

Nick tapped at his earpiece lightly. "Carrots?" he asked, only to be met with faint static and distorted voices. He looked to Robin, who gave a heavy frown and sipped at his sour, Nick folded his ears back in worry as he drank from his mudslide. Robin opened his mouth to speak when he suddenly froze and looked down at his phone. He held the screen up to Nick a moment later, letting him read the text.

 _"I c ur here. Good. Flw the White Rabbit."_

"White rabbit, white rabbit, got it," Nick said, spinning in his seat to look around the club. Robin did the same, idly taking sips of his whiskey sour as he did so.

The dance floor was crowded with all sorts of mammals, in all sorts of dress. Between the different styles the members wore, and the flashing lights, it was difficult to pick out any particular color. Nick and Robin strained from their spot, looking across the floor, keeping their eyes focused down low to try and see a smaller mammal. Nick felt eyes burning into him from his right, and when he turned to look, he saw a white rabbit in a shimmering azure dress staring at him with hazel eyes from the stairs that led up to the second level. Nick bumped Robin's arm and nodded, and when the rabbit locked eyes with the two, she gave a subtle nod and began to ascend.

Robin turned and set some cash on the counter for the drinks they had ordered as Nick jumped down and began to make his way over to the stairs. Robin followed swiftly after, and Nick was able to tell he was right behind him as he ascended to the next level.

He realized that they layout of the club was strange and slightly impractical; the first floor was an open club and bar, while the second floor featured a significantly smaller bar and several booths walled off with distorted glass. A disco ball that reflected the lights around the room lazily spun in the center. One corner was dedicated to dancers on a small, square space, and the wall of the oppsite side was a balcony overlooking the first floor. There was a set of fire escape doors tucked away in the furthest corner, and in the middle of the back wall was a door locked with a keycard lock – clearly a VIP or Employee's Only area, and Nick suspected it went to the third floor.

The rabbit glanced over her shoulder at the foxes as she made her way to a corner booth, this one darker than the others. Nick looked back as Robin tapped his shoulder, making him pause. "Wait here," he said. "If it's a trap, there's no sense in us both getting caught in it." Nick nodded and paused, looking around to observe their surroundings. The second floor was less occupied than the first, and at that, most of the mammals he could see were sitting in booths and talking, rather than dancing. The colors up here, he noticed, were also much more soothing than the flashing lights of below, being lighter shades of blues, purples, and yellows.

Nick stood at the railing overlooking the bottom floor, watching the mammals below. It was nothing special, the usual club fare, though he did see a well-dressed lion walking up to the bar and having a lengthy discussion with the hippo bartender. A minute or two passed as they talked, until the hippo nodded and walked out of the fox's view. As he waited for the bartender's return, there was a crackle of static in his ear, and a distorted voice he could identify as Judy's coming through.

"- ick, can you h- me?"

"Carrots?" he asked.

"Oh, go- -d. Lis- -en, y- -wo need to hur-" Judy sounded distressed, but it was difficult to make everything out exactly. Between the static and the noise from the club, it easily could've been his imagination or the distortion.

"Judy, I can't understand you," Nick said, placing a finger on the earpiece in an attempt to hear her better. "Robin's meeting his friend right now, we should be out soon."

More static, and what Nick thought was King saying something.

Shaking his head, the fox turned around to go get Robin, to tell him to hurry up, only to see the other fox walking towards him already. "Nick," he said, "Come here. I think you'll want to see this." With that, he turned around and began to walk towards the booth from before. Nick followed, stuffing his paws into his pockets as he looked around.

When he got into the booth, he wasn't sure what he should've expected. The booth was sized for, of course, medium-sized mammals. The white rabbit was stood by the entrance, holding onto a glass of water with both paws. Up close, Nick could see that she had a slight gash on the underside of one cheek, and that her right paw was missing a fingertip or two.

In the booth itself, seated to face the entrance, was a black-furred wolf in jeans and a unique hoodie – the left arm was silver, compared to the rest, which was also black. Mismatched eyes of red and green – Nick assumed they were contacts, given how bright they were – stared at him from under the hood. Much as Nick and Robin's stomachs and chins were cream-colored, the wolf's was similarly pale, though the border between the fur colors was dyed a red that matched his eye.

"So this is the famous Nick Wilde?" the wolf asked.

Nick did a small nod, chuckling. "Famous? I knew I had a following but I didn't think I was on Judy's level yet. You are?"

The wolf chuckled, a low rumble that was audible over the music, as he leaned forward. "Arctic Brightwater, formerly deceased CEO of Brightwater Industries." The wolf held out a paw for Nick to shake, which the fox did after a moment.

"Formerly deceased, as in you were dead. As far as I know, we don't have revival technology, and you don't look like a zombie to me. Care to explian?" Nick asked.

"I'll keep this short: When you have a ton of money, and need to disappear, it's surprisingly easy. But that's not what we're all here for. What we _are_ here for, is this." Arctic held up a small set of dog tags, one of which was slightly larger than the other. "This has all the information I had on Phraxus. Get it to the ZPD."

He slid the dog tags over the table, where Robin snatched them up and inspected them. The larger of the two dog tags was actually a USB. Nick looked at Arctic, frowning. While it wasn't illegal to fake one's own death, it involved so many borderline things that it was almost impossible to do so without breaking several laws. Knowing that Arctic was alive was something he'd have to file away in his mind to deal with at a later date.

The conversation dragged on slightly longer, Arctic conforming he was Frost (as if there was doubt at this point) and that he had known about Phraxus before his fake death. He tipped off Robin while he was on Outback Island, leading to the fox starting to use what connections he had to fight them after he'd made a game plan. Arctic also explained that the rabbit, Chloe, was someone he'd helped rescue from Phraxus early on, and the two were good friends now.

"You've probably got a lot of questions about me faking my death," Arctic said. "I'll be glad to answer them. After you deal with Phraxus."

Nick groaned internally. This was a complete repeat of Robin when they first met. "Not again," he muttered.

"He did the same thing?" Arctic asked, looking at the taller fox. Nick nodded, and Robin offered a nervous shrug, his ears laying down against his head. "I'm not surprised. Except I'm entirely serious about it, no joking."

"Right, well," Robin said, turning away. "We've got what we need. Where's my car?"

"In a parking garage around the corner," Arctic said. "Sorry that I had to borrow it."

"You paid for her upgrades," Robin said. "It's fine."

Both foxes began to walk out of the booth, this meeting seemingly over despite its unanswered questions. Robin slid the dog tags around his neck, laughing once at the size of it on him – the tags themselves went to the center of his body. Arctic began to follow the group out, and the white rabbit stepped beside him.

Nick tapped on his earpiece. "Carrots? We're done here." There was absolute silence, though, and it became apparent the call had ended.

The moment they exited the booth, Nick realized something was off. The music was fainter, and a fair amount of mammals had cleared the floor they were on. It could have been that they just left, but a quick glance to the lower level from where he stood showed fewer mammals as well – not that he could see much, but it was enough to set the fox on edge. Robin was clearly nervous now as well, as was Arctic and the rabbit.

"Anyone else get a sudden bad feeling?" Arctic asked. Chloe grunted an affirmation.

"Yeah... I think we should go," Nick said, walking for the stairs. A sound coming from the far end of the room, from the other side of the fire exit, stopped him, however. It sounded like... Grunting?

He should've kept going, should've left the building with Robin and Arctic and the rabbit in tow. But instead, he wandered back to the group, stopping beside Robin. The group glanced to one another, completely confused, as the sounds stopped. But when Robin's eyes widened and he stepped back, everything went to hell.

~ óÓÒò ~

Esmerelda shivered as she lay prone on the concrete floor. She cursed not having brought a blanket – of course, she hadn't anticipated being in the same position for over two hours, either. But she was a sniper, and a sniper needed patience. Cold and heat couldn't get to her when she had a job to do.

Fangs had given her instructions to ambush the Moonlit Rose with one of the more eccentric members of their organization – one of the few prey members, a hare named Abraham with a passion for fire.

She was to keep watch through the windows and tell Abraham when to ambush the meeting. With the resources their leader had, Fangs had learned about 'Frost' meeting up with 'Dust', and decided to send out a team once more to stop them.

Of course, this wasn't a small team. Three SUVs, a pickup, all loaded with members ready to blow away any opposition were sent around the back of the club to set up. An ambassador of sorts, a well-dressed lion, was to go to the club's manager and explain to him that if he didn't go along with what was going to happen, that his assets would be... Reposessed. No camera footage would exist of the incident, most club members that were sober enough to know what was happening had been asked to leave. The rest were slowly being funneled out of the building. The guards were being told to head on home, that the club was closing early, and that new night shift members had arrived – of course, it was all a lie. And, if she had to be honest, a pretty hard one to convince some members of.

But, Fangs always got his way, and soon enough the building began to look emptier and emptier. Es kept an eye on it all from her vantage point two blocks away, on the roof of a two-story library. Her vantage point let her see into the booth that those damned foxes were going to – perfect. She couldn't see who was inside, but she knew for a fact that a white rabbit was already inside. The fox they wanted dead most was standing on the left side, and she could see him make a motion of putting something on. Shortly after, he and the others left the booth, revealing the final member to be a wolf in a black hoodie.

Es reached over to the radio beside her, silently groaning at how stiff her body now was. "Heads up," she said into the device. "The bigger fox has something around his neck. Could be what we're looking for."

The radio responded with many voices telling her that they'd heard. She watched on as the police fox walked towards the stairs, then paused, before returning to the group. She angled her rifle slightly higher, an idea forming in her mind as she grinned. Her sights rested on the top of the disco ball, which sat over the group.

~ óÓÒò ~

King kept his eyes glued to the club, the fur on the back of his neck raising. Many mammals had been leaving the club as of late, and some of those he saw dressed as guards were among them. The panther's tail twitched behind him as his right paw instinctively traveled to the holster on his side. In it sat his pride and joy – a white revolver with a golden dragon winding around the barrel, its open mouth facing the end. It always amused him when he had to use it – the dragon breathed fire and spat bullets at his foes. Of course, he had little ammo to use – bullets were hard to come by legitimately, and .50 calibre rounds even more so.

Yet, even if it was empty, it gave him comfort. Most mammals stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of the weapon.

Judy undid her seatbelt a moment before King was going to tell her to – something was too off. The call had wound up dead, and so the rabbit discarded her earpiece to the dashboard. She held the small backpack with one paw beside her, the other on the door handle, ready to spring from the car. When the mammals out front were drawn inside, and replaced by two others – one of whom they both recognized as the lion from the convoy – they had had enough.

"Something's wrong," Judy said.

"I know," King replied.

"I should go in there," Judy muttered. King scrunched up his nose. The anxiety coming off the doe was making the air thick to him; he could tell she was worried about Nick with what was happening. The twitch of her nose was visible in the reflection from his window, matching his tail.

"Those guards kicked almost everyone out, what makes you think they'll let you in?" King said.

Judy was silent for a minute, before turning to him. "You're right, shoot..." Her foot began to thump against the seat, her brow furrowing as she tried to think of something. "We can't charge in there. Is there anything else we can do?"

King opened his mouth to respond, when one of the glass windows to the second floor shattered.

~ óÓÒò ~

Robin took a step back, bumping into Nick and making him stumble back with him. This was what wound up saving the two at that instant, as the disco ball let out a snap as glass shattered to their left, the large orb falling and slamming into the ground hard enough to leave cracks around it. The side of it actually scratched Robin's nose, making him yelp and jump back, the entire group following him. "We need to go," he said.

The fire door drowned him out, however, as it let out the horrid sound of metal pushing against metal and a massive bang as it went flying several feet into the room, before falling down with a heavy thud. The faint music gave way to a heavy thudding of drums and a grating guitar rift as what seemed like a hare stepped into the room, clad in what seemed like armor, a motorcycle helmet on his head. On both this, and the flamethrower the hare carried, were the faded paint jobs of a fierce looking shark.

Nick was the one who spoke during the brief pause. "What the fuck is with this guy?"

The hare shouted in an accented response, "It's called a theme song, laddie!" before leveling the flamethrower and letting loose, the music flaring up again. Flames scorched the air by the group, who all jumped back. "Hot, hot!" Nick shouted, turning to run to the stairs. He fell backwards immediately after reaching them, scrambling back to the center of the room as gunfire erupted from below.

"Arctic, door!" Robin shouted, pointing to the VIP door. The wolf nodded and ran to it, going through his pockets. Chloe threw her glass at the hare, but it bounced off him. The thudding of footsteps downstairs, and more gunfire from the fire escape, caused the three to hide behind the disco ball.

"Got it!" Arctic yelled, pushing through the VIP door and motioning for the group to follow. Without hesitation, Chloe sprinted to it, the hare's flamethrower not moving from its position as he burned at the disco ball, slowly moving forward. Nick was next, jumping to the side and rolling before throwing himself through the threshold. He turned to watch as Robin dove to the side, flames hot on his tail as he rolled and raced to the group. The smell of burning carpet and fur filled the stairwell as Arctic slammed the door, Chloe leading the way up.

"Who the hell brings a flamethrower to an ambush?" Robin asked, looking to Nick as he hauled himself to his feet.

"Someone who thinks they're hot stuff?" Nick asked in response, making Robin shake his head with a grin as they began running up the stairwell. The group was only half a story up before banging started on the door below. Arctic overtook Chloe as they reached the top, the wolf pushing into the VIP lounge. The rest caught up and looked around immediately for an exit.

The lounge was, as expected, exotic. A bar, open round tables, a counter to one side with a dozen large flatscreen TVs on the wall above it. One corner, beside the bar, had a dip in the floor, where comfortable-looking chairs overlooked both the outside and the floors below. On any other night, this would be a great place to rest.

The window to the outside shattered, Arctic crying out as he clutched a shoulder, blood seeping into his clothes. Robin cursed as Nick moved to a table, grabbing its base and throwing it to the floor, facing the window. "Get him to cover!" Nick shouted, Chloe jumping behind the bar to search for something. Robin ran back to the door at the top of the steps and slammed it shut, the electronic lock holding it in place as a crash sounded from below. Another sniper round hit the wall next to the fox's head, making him dive behind a nearby chair.

"We need a way out!" Nick shouted, pressing down on Arctic's shoulder.

"Is there a helipad on top?" Robin asked.

Arctic groaned, but spoke. "No, the roof access is below us. Fire escape?"

Nick looked over at the fire escape, mouth gaping open slightly as it began to shake, as was the other VIP door. "I think that's out of the equation," he said.

The clinking of glass brought their attention to the bar, where Chloe was waving them over. Robin got up and, after ducking just below another shot, sprinted behind the bar. "Bingo!" he shouted.

"What did you find?" Nick asked, getting up and puhsing over another table to face the VIP door, before moving a third to block the fire exit.

"Dumbwaiter!" Robin shouted. "It might even be big enough for Arctic – come on!"

Arctic groaned and rolled over, Nick running over and lifting under his injured shoulder as the wolf held it with his good arm. Together, they dragged him to the bar and around it, where Chloe was sitting inside a large dumbwaiter built into the lower portion of the wall. It was large, just smaller than a keg would be, but large enough. Arctic turned around and pressed himself into the dumbwaiter, Robin shutting the hatch. "Here's hoping it's safe," he said, before pressing the button to lower them down.

The doors around the room began to shake, and Robin poked his head over the bar, wincing as a bottle of vodka shattered from another bullet. "You'd think an ex-SWAT sniper's aim would be better," he said, looking at Nick.

"Just be glad hers isn't," Nick replied. The door to the fire escape groaned and a part of it sounded like it bent, clear shouts coming from the other side. "This is insane!" the fox shouted. "How did they replace all the guards?"

"Hell if I know!" Robin said. "I gave up figuring out how they do things!"

A small ding drew their attention back to the dumbwaiter as the hatch opened up, the walls and floor showing crimson from where Arctic had bled. Nick and Robin looked at each other, silently questioning if everything was alright, but the sound of a door slamming open made them throw caution to the wind as they ran inside, Robin hitting the button to lower the device as Nick threw the hatch closed.

Shouts filled the air above them as the dumbwaiter descended, letting both foxes breathe a sigh of relief. "This is insane," Nick repeated.

"Scale of hustles to Night Howlers, how insane?" Robin asked.

"Depends on the hustle," Nick replied, offering a faint chuckle. When the dumbwaiter stopped, though, he fell silent, a panicked expression taking over his muzzle. "Oh no," he said. "Oh no, no, no!" The two could hear faint voices above, muffled by the top of the dumbwaiter.

"I think they're in here!"

"So get em up here!"

"Working on it, don't be so damn pushy!"

"That's it, we're dead," Nick said, pacing in his small space. "I'm dead, you're dead, we're all dead. Great!"

The dumbwaiter jolted, halting the older fox. Robin looked around, opening his mouth to say something, before the dumbwaiter began to fall like a brick to the bottom. Whatever the foxes cried out was drowned by a crash that sent the two to the ground.

"Aw great, now look what you've done!"

"It takes time to do things, you shouldn'ta rushed me!"

The shouts from above grew fainter as the group walked away. The hatch to the dumbwaiter rose up, revealing an alarmed Chloe as she peered inside, motioning for the two foxes to hurry and exit. Both dropped to the floor outside and looked around – they were in a storage area, barrels and boxes of liqours and non-perishable foods stacked against the walls. Arctic leaned by a doorway on the far side, panting as he held his shoulder. "Outside... Exit..." He panted, motioning to the doorway with his head.

"Come on, then!" Robin said, sprinting up the steps. He threw open the door at the top, letting in moonlight as Nick and the others followed. At the top, they found several vehicles parked – a large semi for a liqour company, three black SUVs, and a black pickup. A lone wolf leaned against the side of the first SUV smoking a cigarette, an uzi resting on the hood. Chloe charged past the group, towards the wolf, and leaped up just as he looked at her. His eyes widened in shock as her fist collided with his jaw, spinning him around and making him fall to the ground, where he went still save the rise and fall of his chest.

"Nick, see if any of these will start," Robin said, pointing to the cars as he climbed onto the SUV and grabbed the uzi. It was basic, a folding stock of rounded, bent metal and a suppressor on the end, the large magazine jutting out from the hilt.

Nick jumped to the pickup and tried the door – much to his surprise, it was unlocked. He jumped into the driver's seat and began looking around for keys, checking the usual places. The third place he looked, under the sun visor, held his prize. Nick grinned and started the vehicle. "Every time," he muttered. "Hey, everyone! Get in!"

The passenger side door opened up as Arctic forced himself inside, Chloe jumping over him and into the back seat, along with Robin. "Get us out of here!" The taller reynard demanded, Nick looking down at the pedals.

"Need a minute," the fox said, adjusting the seat and pedals so he could reach the gas and see ahead.. "They don't make these things one size fits all." Once he was in position, Nick stepped on the gas, tearing it out of the back of the club and around the building. The parking lot was almost empty, save several cars, including King's. Judy was stood outside of it, staring at the club's now-burning interior in horror, before Nick pulled up to them. "We got what we need, but there's a problem!" he said. King leaned over from his side and rolled down the window.

"What's up?" he asked, glancing between them and the bar.

Robin leaned up from the back seat. "We have wounded. King, can you get Frost to a hospital?"

"You know I can, get him in here," the panther said, exiting his vehicle and walking to the passenger side, opening the door and helping Arctic to his car. "But listen, you bleed on my seats, we goin' have problems," he told the wolf. Chloe jumped out after Arctic, climbing into King's car with him as the panther shot the group a curious look.

"She's his friend, she's good," Robin said.

King took a deep breath. "If you say so," he said, getting into his car. "Now get outta here, ZPD needs what you got!"

"On it!" Nick said, Judy now jumping into the passenger seat and shutting the door. Nick stepped on the gas and went the opposite direction of King just as gunfire peppered the windows, cracking them.

"Think we're in the clear?" Robin asked as Nick turned onto the freeway. Gunfire spat from behind them, shattering one of the back windows as a response.

"What happened in there?" Judy shouted. Nick sped up, weaving through nightly traffic.

"Some hare thought he was so hot he had to show off, made the guards mad and they opened fire," Nick said.

"Nick, I'm being serious!" Judy replied angrily.

"So am I!" Nick responded, grinning. This was cut off as one of the SUVs from the club began to gain on them, a cougar leaning out of the passenger side window and firing at the pickup. "Robin, tell them to knock it the hell off!" Nick shouted.

Robin nodded and jumped out of the now-broken back window into the truck bed, the suppressed sounds of the uzi firing now audible. It didn't take long for the tires of the SUV to pop and send the vehicle careening to one side, crashing into the railing as the other two swerved to avoid the wreckage. Robin shifted his aim as Nick continued to step on the gas, hoping they could outrun their pursuers.

~ óÓÒò ~

Arctic looked around in his blurry state, doing his best to ignore the pain in his shoulder, and stay concious. Rap music filled the car as it pulled away from the club's parking lot, King saying something about a hospital. Chloe stood on Arctic's left leg and pressed against his wound to keep it from bleeding too much.

With his good arm, Arctic drew his phone from his pocket and opened up the messaging app. He went to the conversation he had with Robin – a whopping one message – and began to type in a new one.

He hoped what he put in was spelled right when he hit send, but his blurred vision made it difficult to even see the road ahead. "Chloe... Gotta tell you somethin'..."

The rabbit gave him a sharp glare he felt rather than saw, pressing against his wound even more, which caused him to groan in pain and wince. His vision began to fade as he tried forming words again, but all went black before he could tell if he'd said them or not.

~ óÓÒò ~

Robin fired at the second SUV until the bullets from the uzi stopped flying. He checked the gun and cursed, before ejecting the magazine and chucking it towards the vehicles behind him. It missed both and clattered uselessly to the ground, and then he began to remove the suppressor before hurling that as well. It hit the front of the second vehicle, making it swerve before continuing its pursuit.

The first SUV pulled up to the back of the pickup, and a silver fox leaned out the back window. The SUV pulled closer, letting the fox step onto the pickup's bed before Robin hurled the uzi itself at him, the fox leaning to avoid it as it crashed into the windshield of the black SUV. This sent it veering to the left, into the divider, but the silver fox had pushed himself forward enough to tackle Robin to the ground.

Robin brought up a foot and pushed on the other's abdomen, flipping him over and onto his back as the red reynard scrambled to his feet, almost falling right back down as the pickup turned around a car. "Hold it steady, dammit!" he shouted, turning to the front seats. Nick's response was lost as he looked back at the other fox, just in time to take a heavy blow to the face. Robin stumbled and crashed to the pickup bed, spent bullet casings clattering around as the other fox fell on top of him, paws grasping around Robin's neck and squeezing.

Robin grit his teeth and punched the other fox in the face, making him lose his grip enough for the red fox to breath. He rolled the two over, attempting to choke the silver fox now, before loosening his own grip as he took a knee to the side. Robin rolled over and clutched his side, the other fox walking over to him and grabbing his shirt collar. Robin grabbed the fox's wrist and pushed himself to his feet, the other rearing back his free fist for a punch that he avoided with a simple turn of the head. Robin took advantage of the missed attack by punching the silver fox in the side repeatedly, making the reynard gasp and let go.

Robin was about to continue his assault when he was sent to the floor by the pickup coming to a screeching halt. The pickup now sat parallel to a freight train as it tore past, coal and empty containers moving by at a modest speed, not quite at full force yet.

"The last SUV forced us off the freeway, and we can't go through a train!" Nick shouted. Robin was about to reply when the silver fox grabbed the dog tags around his neck and pulled, the red fox being hauled up into an awaiting fist. The loop the dog tags used snapped from the force, coming free in the silver fox's grip. He was about to continue attacking, before Judy jumped from the of the pickup and tackled him. The reynard rolled and used the force to slam Judy into the ground, making her let go, before scrambling to his feet.

Robin crawled to his knees as the silver fox stood on the side of the pickup next to the train, turning and giving him a mock salute before jumping and grabbing onto the ladder on the side of a container. Judy jumped at him, barely missing his feet just as he leaped, making her almost flip over the side of the pickup. "Dammit!" she yelled.

"Nick, follow that train! He has the tags!" Robin shouted, shaking his head to clear it as he regained his balance. "Judy, help him out!"

"What are you doing?" she asked, staring at him.

Robin stared at the train, planning his jump. "Getting those damn tags back."


	24. Fight

Of all the stupid things he had done in his life (of which there were many), Robin quickly decided this was at the top of the list.

Between the fact that he had horribly miscalculated his jump to where he almost met the wheels of the train, had grabbed onto the ladder on the side of a container in such a way as to nearly dislocate his arm, and having not totally recovered from his scuffle with the silver fox, this was turning out to be much more difficult than he had anticipated. Throw in the fact that it was night time and the metal was cold as all hell, and he didn't know why he decided this would even work.

As he had jumped, Judy had called out something to him, but it was lost as he was carried swiftly away on the train. He looked at the ground below him and saw the ground speeding by, the fear of falling making him haul himself up the ladder and onto the container. Robin glanced back, crouching on the top, to see Nick's pickup driving on the tracks behind the train, keeping pace a safe distance behind. With a nod he knew they couldn't see, the fox began to push forward against the wind, flinging himself over the gaps between cars and carefully stepping through the containers of coal, keeping to one side and holding onto the edge so he wouldn't sink down into the cargo.

The silver fox was sitting inside the empty car he had landed in once Robin found him, propped against the back wall below him. Robin jumped from the car he was on, bringing a clump of coal with him. The silver fox looked up and shoved himself away just as Robin landed where he had been a moment before. "You're one stubborn sonofabit-" the silver fox started, cut off as Robin lashed out and kicked his muzzle. He grunted and held his muzzle as Robin went for another kick, the silver fox catching his foot and shoving it away. Robin fell to the ground after spinning into the edge of the car, both foxes quickly scrambling to their feet.

"Why are you even a part of this?" Robin asked, standing in a boxer's stance.

The silver fox scoffed, taking up what seemed like a modified jiu jitsu stance, body held low and arms slightly extended. "You have no idea what we're trying to do, do you? Nature's all out of whack, and we're just trying to fix it. Natural order."

"Natural order changes with natural progression," Robin replied. "Things are the way they are for a reason. Why fight it so much?"

"Because it's not working!" The silver fox spat. "But this would. If you would just fucking die!" The silver fox lunged for Robin, who sidestepped him and grabbed the back of his shirt, spinning him around and throwing him to the opposite wall, where he landed with a thud before slowly pushing himself off the ground. Robin was already to him, though, kicking the side of the fox's head into the metal wall before crouching down and giving him a harsh punch to the jaw, the silver fox weakly trying to grab at the red fox before falling limp, eyes shutting as he lost consciousness. Robin immediately began rifling through the fox's pockets, sighing in relief as he found the dog tags, tucking them safely into one of his zipper pockets. The reynard turned to the cars leading back to the pickup, only to freeze as something was thrown at him from the left.

The black SUV from before was back, slightly ahead of the car he was on, several mammals throwing the back doors open and getting ready to jump. They were all smaller, the largest being a coyote, the smallest being an otter, each one giving Robin a death stare. "Oh, come on!" he shouted, staring as the first passenger, the otter, leaped onto the side of the car and scrambled over the side, launching himself at Robin.

Robin jumped back, letting the smaller predator fly into the metal wall of the car, falling down with a thud. Another fox, an arctic one, boarded next, swinging a punch from behind Robin. He spun around to face the attacker, barely missing the blow as he grabbed the smaller fox's arm and used his momentum to swing him around, slamming him into the car's side. When the smaller fox bounced back forwards as a result, Robin raised a foot and kicked forward, sending him back into the wall, where he collapsed to a seated position.

Robin glanced at the SUV, watching in horror as the coyote prepared to jump on next, only for the vehicle to swerve as gunfire sounded from behind them. The pickup pulled up behind the SUV, Judy leaning from the passenger side window with Robin's P99, taking careful shots at the tires of the vehicle ahead of them.

"Just fuckin' throw me, ya daft shit!" Robin heard, turning his attention back to the SUV. The coyote reared back with something in his grip, a black bundle of armor and metal showing inside.

"No," Robin said. "No, no, no!"

The coyote threw the hare from before over the gap between his vehicle and the train, who landed with a heavy thud as he crashed onto his side, scrambling for his flamethrower. Robin stepped forward to attack, just as the fox behind him wrapped his arms under his armpits and locked fingers behind his head. "Smoke this bastard!" he called out, turning to put Robin in front of the hare as he did so. Robin grit his teeth and shifted his right foot to hook around the fox's leg, pulling it forward and pushing himself backwards to make the two fall down, the smaller tod crying out and letting go as they landed and Robin's injured side aching from the impact. Robin rolled to the side and immediately charged at the hare, reaching him just as flames began to spew from his flamethrower.

Robin grabbed the hare by the neck and slammed him against the metal wall behind him, but the tank on his foe's back kept him from doing much harm. The hare swung his flamethrower, smacking Robin in the side and making him yelp at the hot metal as the heat seared through his clothes. The arctic fox ran up to the two and swung again at him, but Robin ducked down and grabbed his shirt collar, shoving him into the hare. The two stumbled back as Robin turned, hoping to reach the back of the car this time, but was stopped by the otter tackling him. He clawed at the reynard's eyes, but Robin's longer arms held him at bay as he rolled the two over and punched the otter in the face. This dazed the smaller mammal, and Robin took advantage of this by standing up and grabbing his tail, swinging the otter around and sending him into the arctic fox and hare, sending the group into the corner yet again, and giving him just enough time to catch his breath.

"Catch!" someone shouted, making Robin turn to see the coyote hurl a ninja-style dual-edged sword at the car, the object bouncing off one of the walls and to the far side.

"Are you outta your damn mind?!" Robin hollered, turning to take the weapon – surely it wasn't meant for him, but it would do. The silver fox was back up, though, and had beaten him to it. "Who brings a _sword_ to an ambush?!"

The silver fox charged at Robin, sword raised. He swung down as he reached striking distance, the double-edged shortsword missing Robin by inches as he ducked, punching the silver fox's side twice before he swung it horizontally. He aimed too high, though, and another duck sent the blade over the red fox's head, Robin quickly standing up and kicking the fox's other side before punching the left side of his head. The fox swung around with the blow, coming around and stabbing at the red fox. Robin saw this coming and sidestepped the attack, grabbing the silver fox's wrist and ducking under, twisting his foe's arm and bringing him down as he lifted the sword arm into the air, adding a quick kick to the back of his knee to force him lower. Robin then placed his other foot against the silver fox's head and pushed, sending him crashing to the ground and freeing the sword, which he grasped firmly in his right paw.

Robin turned to the group that he had sent in the corner, all three now on their feet and facing him. The hare leveled his flamethrower again, leaving Robin little time to react. Judy fired from the pickup, rounds pinging off the hare's armor and making him flinch, leaving Robin just enough time to rush forward, kicking the otter away before he swung his sword at the hare's flamethrower, severing the line connecting the tank and the gun assembly. The hare had no time to react as Robin gave another kick forward, shoving him into the fox before he spun to face the otter and silver fox.

Robin took a fist from the left, spinning around with the blow as stars filled his vision, barely able to see a fifth mammal on the car, this one being the coyote. His heart fell as he backed up and regained his bearings, eyes darting around as he began to get surrounded. A blur of gray caught his eye from behind the group, and the coyote fell to the side as Judy landed in his place. She immediately spun to face the silver fox and otter, sidestepping with Robin so they met in between the group of hostiles. "Thanks, Hop Along," he said. In the back of his mind, there was an unsettling feeling – Judy, being a rabbit, didn't have the natural night vision of a predator. The sound of the train, which was easily a deafening one to him if he didn't try to block it out a bit, was also a hinderence.

She was out of her element, and it bothered him. But as she quickly showed, that didn't make her helpless. "Just shut up and fight," she responded, jumping forward to take on her share of enemies, the fox she faced letting out a cry as her feet met his chest with a forceful kick.

Robin grunted and gave a nod as he leveled the shortsword with the group ahead of him, the hare throwing his now-useless flamethrower at the fox and dropping the tank from his back. Robin spun around the assembly, jumping forward and swinging for the hare's leg.

More gunfire came from the left, making the coyote duck down before climbing up the car in front of them, grabbing pieces of coal and hurling them at the pickup. Out of the corner of his eye, Robin saw Nick swerving to avoid letting the windshield break from the impacts, shouting "Will you stop throwing shit? I'm trying to drive here!" The SUV slowed down in front of the pickup and another mammal jumped from it, onto Nick's vehicle, before it got pushed out of the way. Nick shouted angrily before his truck slipped out of sight, the coyote jumping down and past Robin. The only light source there was for Judy to use was now fading away, making the worried feeling he had for the rabbit grow.

Robin raised up the sword and shoved upwards as the arctic fox tried to punch him in the head, the foe's fist colliding with the edge of the weapon. He cried out and immediately withdrew his arm, stepping back in clear agony as Robin swung at the hare, the tip of the sword scratching a line on top of the painted motorcycle helmet. The hare launched himself at Robin, nearly sending him to the ground as he held onto the fox's shoulders and began to headbutt him, Robin collapsing and dropping the sword as he raised both arms to protect himself, darkness filling the edges of his vision and a faint pounding in his ears.

The weight of the hare vanished as Judy let out a grunt, having been thrown into the armored mammal and knocking him off of Robin. She scrambled up and moved to jump back into the fight as her foot was grabbed and she was sent to the floor by the hare. Robin rolled and rose up to help her, only to be stopped by the silver fox as his shoulder was grabbed. Robin was spun around and narrowly avoided a punch to the face, the otter wrapping around one of his legs and biting at it – thankfully, his boots kept him from feeling much more than a little pressure.

Robin punched the silver fox's stomach several times, forcing him backwards, before reaching down and grabbing the otter by the back of his neck, squeezing harsly at a pressure point to make him go limp before turning and hurling the otter at the coyote, who was currently poised over Judy, holding her in place as the hare grabbed the bloodied sword. "Get her, Abe!" the coyote shouted, stumbling only slightly at the impact.

Robin charged at Abraham again, grabbing the wrist that held the sword and yanking it backwards a kicking the hare's knee. Robin pulled the sword free as the silver fox wrapped his arms around the taller reynard's neck, but Robin again hooked one leg around the other's and fell backwards, using the impact to roll free. The otter jumped for Robin again, but he spun around the smaller mammal and let him crash into the arctic fox, turning to help Judy once he'd regained his sense of direction, and his breath.

Instead, the rabbit began to rapidly kick at the large canid's stomach, making him grunt in pain before he let go of her neck. From sheer force of her kicks, he began to stand upright, before Judy rolled to her back and pushed off the ground, kicking him savagely in the jaw and sending the coyote toppling to the ground. It wouldn't surprise Robin if she had knocked the poor mammal out.

"Hopps, get out of here!" Robin shouted, pointing to Nick's pickup.

"No way," she coughed, one paw rubbing her throat. "Not until you do!"

"Don't fucking argue," Robin hissed, shoving the rabbit to the edge of the car. "You can't see as well as us, or hear as well as you normally could. You're going to get hurt if you stay, now go! Get the pickup to the back of the train, I'll meet you there!"

Judy didn't argue any further, seeing sense in Robin's demand, turning and jumping into the bed of the pickup as Nick drew it closer. There was an unconscious mammal in the back seat, a female weasel from the looks of it, and Nick's fur was ruffled, but he otherwise seemed okay. Judy shouted something as Robin turned to the attackers – four on one, with the fifth slowly pulling himself together.

Robin grit his teeth, running to the front of the car and attempting to climb up the ladder to the top. He felt claws brush against his tail as he climbed, and looked down to see the coyote holding the otter in his grasp, poised to throw. Robin waited until the otter was being sent into the air to push off the container, landing on the ground and rolling before spinning around and chucking the sword at the coyote, listening to his pained howl as he sprinted for the back container. He reached it and began climbing up with no opposition, save one fox briefly grabbing his foot before being kicked in the face hard enough to send him back down.

When Robin reached the top of the carrier, he began forcing his way to the back of the train, running along the roofs he encountered before leaping over to the next car. He couldn't hear anyone behind him, but he didn't dare look back in case he stumbled.

When he reached the final car, Robin could see the pickup behind the train, keeping pace just a short jumping distance away. A weight came over him from behind as he reached the halfway mark, though, the hare from before tackling him to the ground and swinging the sword down to him with a wild cry. Robin rolled over to throw him off, scrambling to his feet and pushing forward only to be swiftly tackled again. He hissed and rolled over, the hare again on top of him and swinging the sword down. Robin caught his arms mid-swing, stopping the blade inches from his face. Robin pushed up, forcing Abraham's arms up before giving him a savage punch under the helmet, knocking him backwards and making him release the sword. Metal clattered as the weapon fell away and off of the car. Robin pushed back on the hare, shoving his knee between the two and pushing again.

Abraham rose to his feet at the same time as Robin, charging at the fox. Robin took a deep breath, finally able to feel all the pain filling his body after a brief respite, throwing himself to the floor behind Abraham as the hare swung high for him. Robin rolled onto his back and kicked at his foe, making the hare stumble forward, dangerously close to the edge. Robin scrambled to his feet again and raced to the edge, grabbing the back of the hare's armor and pulling, spinning him around and sending him to the ground, where he began to slide towards the edge.

The hare grabbed onto a small groove on the top of the car and began picking himself up, Robin turning and readying himself to jump to the pickup. Pain shot through his back as something struck him, nearly sending him over the side before he regained his balance and spun around, noticing one of the hare's shoulder pieces now laying between them.

"C'mon, lad, give me all ya' got!" the hare shouted, pounding a fist into his palm as he stood.

"You're crazy," Robin shouted back, glancing back at the pickup to gauge his jump. Another blow to the back, and Robin teetered too close to the edge for his comfort. He spun around, fists raised, to see that the silver fox was now standing with Abraham, both staring him down. Robin took a deep breath and took a boxing stance, staring back. "Come on, then," he shouted, taking a few steps forward. He knew he'd miss the pickup if he was hit just as he jumped, something he didn't want to risk.

The fox ran forward first, bringing up his leg to kick Robin, but the red fox caught his foot and jabbed at his neck but hit lower than he wanted, making the silver fox stumbled backwards and collapse. Abraham charged at him, punching his side right as his ally fell, Robin grunting and holding his side with one arm as the other caught the hare's other fist. Robin then pulled him close, bringing up a knee to his face, causing a satisfying crack to be heard from the helmet.

Robin then spun the hare around and grabbed the back of his helmet, pushing him forward and down, smashing it into the metal roof of the train car with another loud crack. He looked up just in time to catch the silver fox's foot being sent to his face, making him spin around and collapse to the ground, stars briefly filling his vision again. He stood as the fox tried another kick, Robin again catching it but this time lifted his foe's leg higher and raising his knee, hitting the fox between the legs and letting him fall down as he let out a cry filled with pain, writhing on the roof. Abraham was rising to his feet again, spitting something out as he turned to Robin, revealing a break in the visor to the helmet that showed one amber eye filled with a fire of rage.

The hare charged at Robin once more with what could've been a war cry, the fox meeting him head on with a quick knee to the chest to stop him, before punching the hare's sides as he latched onto the fox's leg. Robin brought down his elbows onto the hare's back, hoping for the impacts to get through the armor. His attention was drawn away as the pickup honked from behind, Judy shouting at him.

"There's a tunnel ahead, you have to jump!"

Robin turned to look ahead of the train and, sure enough, there was the entrance to a tunnel not far ahead, the entrance of which came low enough that Robin knew it could take his head off if he wasn't careful. He snapped his attention back down to Abraham, who was pressing against him with all his might and eventually managed to push the fox, making him lose his balance and sending him onto his back. The fox growled and rolled over, putting all of his weight against Abraham to force him to lose his grip. Robin tugged his leg free and rolled to the side, rising up and racing for the end of the car.

Abraham gave one last attempt, though, darting forward and grabbing Robin's tail, making him yelp and holding him in place. "I can fit in that tunnel, let's see if you can, too!" he hollered in a malicious voice. Robin pushed backwards, into Abraham and making him lose his grip again, before spinning around and kicking the hare in the head. This sent him over to the edge of the container, arms flailing as he tried to regain his balance. Robin reached out to grab him, hoping to throw him to safety, but the hare fell backwards just as he was within reach.

Robin had no time to grow upset about this, though, as the train tunnel was very close. He charged to the back of the car as quickly as he could and, with all his hope being put into this jump, flung himself to the back of the pickup.

He collided with the roof of the vehicle, before sliding into the bed of the truck and hitting his head against the back door. He was suddenly shoved towards the front of the vehicle, though, as Nick slammed on the brakes, sending him to the front of the bed.

The moment his head met the metal, he lost consciousness.

~ óÓÒò ~

 **I had to go back and make a few changes to this chapter, as a few things bothered me and a few others were pointed out by Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps. So big thanks to them, and if you haven't read any of their stories and are somehow this far into mine, what're you waiting for? Go read them! Great works.**

 **Since we're on the topic, I also recommend checking out the stories by Blenderguy15 and Sophie Ripley, as they're also amazing writers. Also expect more chapters from the past to be updated to be... Well, better.**

 **More and more changes, even to this. Writer's block sucks, for the record – but I think I've finally gotten something worth putting out for you guys.  
**

 **\- N'yrthghar**


	25. Safe Zone

"These guys don't give up easily," Judy breathed, rubbing her neck as Nick slowed the pickup down along the street, pulling to a parking space in front of darkened shops. "Guess they're getting desperate."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Nick gripping the steering wheel tightly as he stared ahead. His breathing was a bit ragged and his fur was understandably ruffled from his brief assault from the weasel that now lay unconscious in the back seat. Robin hadn't poked his head up since his rough landing from the train, leading the rabbit to assume that he, too, was out cold. Or in the very least, staying down.

It was when Nick's breathing became more labored that she turned to look at him. The clear state of distress he was in was so unlike him, it caught her off guard. His normally calm gaze was now shaken, his cool smirk gone and replaced with a gaping mouth of clear pain, and his entire demeanor had changed from a slick ex-hustler to a panicked tod on the verge of a breakdown.

Judy's mind immediately shifted to the attack from the weasel – had he been injured in a way she hadn't seen before? Maybe a wound on his opposite side, or a hit that had broken something? She reached over from her seat to set a paw on Nick's nearest arm, ears pressing back in the air as she grew concerned. "Nick, are you alri-"

"What were you _thinking_?!" the fox snapped, almost a snarl that made Judy freeze, her instincts telling her to pull away.

"What?" She asked.

"What were you thinking," Nick repeated, his tone somewhere between hostile and terrified. "Jumping onto the train with five predators ready to tear someone apart, in the dark. What went through that little rabbit head of yours?"

Judy drew her arm back, an ear rising in curiousity. "What was I thinking? I was thinking that Robin needed help and you were driving the truck, so I'd have to do it."

"That's it? That's the only thing that went through your mind?"

"Yeah, actually, it was," Judy replied. She was now letting her own feelings of hostility seep into her voice, one paw turning to a fist in frustration at Nick's reaction. There was little else the two could've done in that situation, right? "He needed help. You were driving. Can't exactly ask one of the bad guys to help him out, right? So I jumped in. There wasn't much time for thinking."

Nick was silent for over a minute, trying to control his breathing before he continued. "What would I have done if you'd gotten hurt?" Nick asked, the hostility all but absent from his voice now. Judy took a moment to pause. She hadn't considered that she could've gotten hurt, or any consequences of that. Even when the coyote was holding her down, her main focus was on helping get Robin off that train in one piece. She'd had faith that, if she couldn't get the large canid off of her, Robin would've helped.

"I saw," Nick said, his breathing becoming quick with slightl panic. "I saw the fight, up until the weasel jumped in. And then I saw the coyote over someone – it wasn't Robin, I could see him, so it had to be you. You don't know how hard that hit me, how much I almost panicked, Judy."

There were very few times when he used her real name, and each time it was either serious, or around mammals that needed the utmost respect used in their presence. And each time, just like now, it discarded any sense of anger or frustration she had with the fox. Her fist unclenched, and she sat back in her seat, watching as Nick turned to her. "Every other job we've been on has gotten a little hectic, but I have never felt so helpless when you get into trouble. I've never, not even for a moment, had the thought of not showing up with you to the Precinct anymore. But being stuck here and watching you get pinned made me think of that."

"Nick," Judy interrupted, reaching out to set a paw on his arm. This time, she made contact, and it seemed to immediately put the fox at ease. "You know I can take care of myself."

"That's not the point!" Nick said, turning back to face the street. "The point is, you were up there, in danger, and I wasn't there to help. Forget what King said, I'm not doing that again. I can't."

"With any luck, you won't have to. And besides, you were driving, you didn't have a lot of choice last time," she pointed out. Nick sighed and bowed his head, pressing it against the steering wheel.

"I know," he said. "But... Don't you ever do that again."

"No promises," Judy said with a single, small laugh. When Nick didn't react, she frowned and shook his arm once. When he still didn't respond, she got up from her seat and stepped over to his, grabbing his muzzle and lifting his head to make him look at her. Much to her surprise, there was the faint beginnings of tears in one eye. "Hey, listen. I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me, you know."

"I know," Nick repeated, his voice quiet.

Judy let go of his head and slowly pulled her partner into a tight hug, which he returned almost immediately. Nick's head was pressed to her chest as she pressed her cheek to the top of his head, giving a soft sigh. "You foxes are so emotional," she muttered.

Nick chuckled once. "Yeah, giving you rabbits a run for your money," he replied. His tone, back to the Nick she knew, made Judy grin and let out a soft giggle. The two stayed in the warm embrace until there was a heavy groan from the back seat, and Judy released Nick to look behind them. The weasel was beginning to wake, slowly stirring.

Judy reached into the back of her pants and pulled out a small pair of cuffs, letting the metal clink as the weasel looked up with groggy resentment.

~ óÓÒò ~

"They're going to gut you all!" the weasel screeched at Judy, straining against her cuffs that held her to the parking meter.

"You and your group of thugs don't scare us," Judy replied calmly, glancing to Nick as he pushed Robin into the safety that was the back seat of the pickup. The taller reynard had woken up at some point, but was well off-balance and held his head and stomach as he stumbled off the pickup bed. When Nick had safely secured the larger fox in the back seat, he gave a short whistle and jumped back into the driver's seat. Judy nodded and walked over to the weasel, who lashed at her with hate in her eyes. Judy calmly swat the mammal's paw away, before taking a quarter from her wallet and slipping it into the meter.

"Be a good girl and keep that meter up," Judy said as she walked away. "Don't want you getting a ticket now, do we?"

Nick was chortling as the rabbit jumped into the passenger seat – ever the fan of irony. Judy just grinned, glad that he seemed to have calmed down. "Now that that's taken care of," she said. "Let's get back to the Precinct?"

"You're the boss, Fluff," Nick said before starting up the vehicle. He began driving, the hum of the engine being the only thing to fill the vehicle. It didn't take long until it begun to feel slightly awkward, Nick breaking the silence just before Judy. "Hey, Carrots?" he said.

"Mhm?"

"You think this is going to top the Night Howler case?"

"Well, it could. In some ways it probably has, and we just don't know it," she replied.

"Alright, well, what about the amount of craziness that's happened. After all, that case didn't involve snipers or train fights."

"Technically it did," Judy pointed out. Nick tilted his head side to side.

"You know, I guess you're right. At least this train didn't explode," he chuckled.

"I think we'd have more problems if this one did," Judy responded. "Can you imagine all that coal, set on fire all at once?"

"We'd have a whole new desert. Call it the 'Wasteland'. Scorched Earth policy."

Judy opened her mouth to respond, before the pickup jolted forward, slamming her against the seatbelt. She looked behind them to see another pickup, this one being silver. The rabbit sighed in relief at the coloration – it didn't immediately raise alarms. But still, they had the issue of being rear ended. Nick groaned and slapped a paw to his forehead. "Of all the times to get hit," he grumbled tiredly. "Alright Carrots, sit tight. I'll go talk to them."

Before Judy could say a word otherwise, Nick hopped out of the still-running truck, as it inched forward slightly from the impact, walking to meet the driver of the silver pickup. Surprisingly, they hadn't just driven off, and the lion driver was just sat behind the wheel as he reached to the passenger side seat for something.

But... The lion looked a bit familiar.

The realization struck Judy, and she undid her seatbelt and ran to the driver's side door, leaning out the window. "Nick!" She shouted, making the fox turn around and look at her with folded ears. The lion rolled down his window and leaned out.

"Hey buddy, I hope you've got your insurance," he said.

Nick turned back, tail falling low to the ground as he took a step back. "Oh, right. I left what I need in the glove compartment, I'll be right back," he lied, motioning with his thumbs over his shoulder to the pickup. Judy watched in anticipation as he started to backpedal, the lion shaking his head.

"Wrong kind, pal. Life insurance," he clarified, drawing his other paw from the inside of the truck as he leveled a pistol with the fox. Judy, thinking quickly, had dropped from her seat and threw the idling truck into reverse, reaching down and slamming on the gas. The truck's engine roared as she rammed the silver pickup, making the lion's arm spring up just before he fired, a single gunshot cracking the air. Nick was already jumping into the bed of the pickup, Judy taking advantage of the brief moment to adjust the seat as best she could for a rabbit driver, before shifting into drive and flooring it.

"Carrots, you never old me you could drive stick," Nick said as he opened the window to the bed of the pickup and climbed over a dozing Robin.

"I grew up on a farm, Nick. We didn't exactly have top of the line, newer model vehicles there," she said, ears falling agianst her back as she leaned forward to better see the road. The silver pickup had stalled from the hit, and wasn't able to catch up before Judy had rounded several small turns. "That was stupid," she muttered.

"Fluff, I-" Nick began, only for the rabbit to interrupt him.

"No, that was stupid, Nick! You don't get to throw a fit because I jumped into danger and not expect me to do the same when you almost get shot! You should know better than to do what you did!" She shouted.

Nick leaned back in his seat, seemingly at a loss for words for once. "Alright, you've got a point," he admitted. "We've both messed up today. But you could do something about this one, I couldn't."

"And if I'd been any slower?" she hissed at him. Nick opened his mouth for a response, before snapping it shut at finding none. Judy shot him a content look, before shifting her eyes onto the road. "Call the Precinct. We need a safe zone before we get attacked again. Why can't we just run into some normal mammals for once?.."

"Because that would make our job easier?" Nick asked, pulling his phone from his pocket and typing in a number. He held it up to his ear, and Judy tuned him out as she began to piece together where they were and what the fastest route back to the Precinct was. Movement in the rear view mirror caught her eye and Judy glanced up – after realizing she should adjust the mirrors to help her drive – to see Robin sitting up and holding his head. He kept quiet until Nick tucked his phone back into his pocket, glancing behind him. "Welcome to the land of the living, bird boy."

"You sound disappointed," Robin replied, setting a hand on the back of Judy's seat as he steadied himself. "Feels like I was hit by a freight train." The fox's speech was slightly slurred, but it was clearing up swiftly.

"Well, you jumped off of one. Does that count?" Judy commented.

"Har har, I thought clever comments were Nick's thing? Wait – I jumped off a train?" Robin asked, sounding surprised.

"I've been rubbing off on her lately. Surprised she hasn't gotten red fur yet." Nick grinned a bit at his comment, making Judy shake her head. "But in all seriousness," her partner continued, "yes, you jumped off a train. After fighting... What, five mammals? How're you doing?"

"Aside from the massive headache, feeling like half my body is on fire, and the fact that my last memory is of wrestling an armored up hare? Just peachy," Robin groaned. "But please tell me we're in the clear?"

"More or less," Judy confirmed, pulling over. She began to adjust the seat and mirrors properly. "Nick, what's the word on our help?"

"Well, we're in a different district right now," Nick pointed out, gesturing to the masses of vines and undergrowth surrounding them, and the massive jungle trees that weren't too much further off. "And on a side road. A cruiser is being sent out to help escort us back to the Precinct."

"And what do we do in the meantime, sit here?" Robin asked.

"Well, you should rest as much as you can now," Judy pointed out. "You might have gotten a concussion when you landed."

"I've got a headache, loss of memory. I felt sick when I got up but it's gone now. I'm really tired, but if I fought five mammals, that's to be expected, right?" Robin looked between the officers as he spoke, slight concern audible in his voice.

"Most of those are signs of a concussion," Judy told him. "You're going to need to rest, maybe take a painkiller when you get home."

Robin started to dig into a pocket on his pants, producing a first aid kit. "Why wait that long?" he muttered, opening the kit and going through its contents, before putting it away with a small pack in his palm. He tore it open and dry-swallowed what Judy assumed was a set of painkillers.

"You're just a walking ambulance, aren't you?" Nick said.

"You know it," Robin chuckled, laying back down. "Wake me when you need me," he said, before shutting his eyes. It didn't take long for Judy to detect the change in the fox's breathing, accompanied by his faint snores.

"That was fast," she commented.

"He took a beating, I'm sure it was all he could do to stay up," Nick said. He sighed and turned back around in his seat, facing forward. "Think we should get onto a main street?" he asked.

"How would the cruiser find us, then?" Judy pointed out. Nick responded with a faint 'oh' before leaning his seat back. Judy sat with her paws on the wheel for a minute, before letting her gaze fall to the floor by Nick's feet. Sitting there, barely visible in the dark, was the pistol, resting atop the small backpack Robin had told her to keep.

She was curious as to how the fox had gotten it – and concerned as to why. He had done a fairly decent job, for the most part, of not breaking any laws. But this changed it all – firearms were illegal for most mammals who hadn't been on the force for some time, or held a high position elsewhere. Granted, it was obvious the members of Phraxus were all armed through some means – a way she hoped they would discover with the information Robin held – but he was a different story. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to defend him for having one.

"Nick, let me see that?" Judy asked, nodding to the pistol and flicking on one of the overhead lights. The fox raised an eyebrow, but leaned down and picked it up, handling the weapon delicately as he checked the safety and passed it to her, butt of the weapon first. She took gentle hold of it and inspected the gun. She wasn't an expert, but the P99 inscribed on the side gave it a model, at least. There was a compensator on the front end, the vents placed on top to use the muzzle's force to keep the barrel steady – useful for mammals who weren't the most experienced with guns. She slipped out the magazine after a moment of looking – several rounds were still in the magazine, 9mm rounds, appropriate for smaller mammals. It appeared to be well cared for, few scratches along the surface. The polymer handle wasn't very worn, either – it probably had a case somewhere it had been kept in until recently.

"Where do you think he got it from?" Nick asked. Judy just shook her head and muttered a 'not sure' in response. In the back of her mind though, she was running several possibilities through her head. It could be stolen, she thought. Or smuggled in, possibly from Outback Island? She couldn't remember their laws on civilians with firearms, but she knew they weren't as strict as Zootopia was.

"Carrots," Nick said, hope in his voice. This drew her attention from the gun as she looked at him, then behind the vehicle where he was pointing. She breathed a sigh of relief – a ZPD cruiser was coming up behind them. She passed the gun back to Nick and told him to put it in the backpack as Judy rolled down the window and waited for the officer to reach her. A tall, thin cheetah stepped up and gave her a smile.

"Officer Blisk, ZPD. Officers Hopps, Wilde, I assume?" he checked, smiling more at their nods. "Tuskington said you needed an escort back to the Precinct?"

"That's right," Judy said simply. She opened her mouth to say more, but the feeling of needing to passed before any came to mind. Blisk nodded and looked through their car, and Judy noticed his gaze settle on Robin in the back seat – it wasn't a very good one, either. It seemed... Almost predatory, in some way. Like he'd just found a free winning lotto ticket in the hands of some kit.

"You uh... Need any help with your friend in back?" he asked. Judy shook her head.

"No, he's with us," she assured him.

"Are you sure?" he asked again. "I do have space, and spare cu-"

Nick leaned over from the passenger side, frowning. "He's fine, out cold. He won't bother anyone. Just help us get to the Precinct? We've been out here for ages and don't want to be here any longer than we need to."

The cheetah's smile dipped a bit, and Judy could see his tail flick in irritation as he nodded. "Right, sorry. Just wanting to make sure you two are alright. You lead on, I'll follow behind." With that, he dipped his head slightly and went back to his cruiser, getting in.

Judy looked to Nick as she started the truck. A silent message of unease passed between them as she pulled onto the road and began heading in the direction she knew would lead them back to Downtown. Blisk was cruising not far behind in his own vehicle, keeping pace with their pickup and ensuring none of the other few late night drivers got too close to them.

They were met with near to no opposition aside from traffic lights on the way back to the Precinct, Judy leaning back in her seat as they parked in front of the Precinct. She then turned and started to shake Robin awake as Nick slung the backpack over his shoulder and opened his door, hopping out to help Robin slip to the ground. The taller fox was still disoriented and was still holding his head, and as they walked up to the front entrance, he had to stop several times and dry heave for a moment. His constant reasurrances did little for the officer's worries about his current state.

Upon entering the ZPD, Judy was somewhat surprised to see that it was almost as active now as it was during the day. She didn't recognize most of the faces, though, save for that of Officer Higgins and Officer Tuskington. Higgins immediately made his way from the male's locker room to the front desk, where Judy, Nick and Robin waited with Blisk behind them. Robin clutched his head with both paws and groaned slightly, before shaking it and wincing. "Is there somewhere I can sleep until Bogo gets here?" he asked.

Tuskington looked down over the desk, the warthog officer studying Robin before looking to Judy questioningly. "He's with you, or?.." he started.

"He's with us," she confirmed. "Just needs a place to rest, hit his head hard."

"Riiiiight," Tuskington muttered. "Higgins, we got any places he can sleep?"

"Preferrably not a cell," Nick said.

"Right, because we're a five star hotel," Tuskington replied with a shrug. "All we have is cells. But we can give him one furthest from the others."

Judy and Nick looked to Robin, silently asking if he was okay with it. He shrugged and nodded, still rubbing his head. "Long as I'm safe," he said.

"Right. In that case, I'll take him to a cell, bring him an extra blanket or something. Blisk, you head out on patrol again. And you two," Higgins said, turning to look at the smaller officers. "Go get some rest. It's nearly midnight."

"Uh, Officer Higgins, sir," Blisk said, holding up a finger. "I know you're fairly busy, why not let me take this fox to a cell, get him all settled in for the night? It's been fairly peaceful as it is, so-"

"Peaceful? If you want to call a mass shootout at a club and through the streets peaceful, sure. But no, we need you back out there," Higgins stated. Judy noticed that Blisk looked a bit deflated.

"But, sir, I-" he started.

"Patrol, Blisk. That's final." Higgins folded his arms as he stated this, essentially ending the matter. Judy could see why he was the Chief's second in command, and why he was practically Chief of the night shift. Blisk nodded and looked down, and Robin looked up at him. Judy did too, and she almost missed the sinister scowl the cheetah was giving the fox. It disappeared as she turned her head, the feline nodding and muttering a goodbye before trudging from the building, tail flicking in frustration as he muttered a few choice words that Judy wouldn't repeat.

Higgins just shook his head, resting his hands on his hips. "Hopps, I'd say to drive home, but I'm sure you didn't buy that kind of pickup. I'll have to have Roberto add it to the impound in the morning. Alright, fox. Come on."

"Wick," Robin muttered, following after the hippo as he was led away from Judy and Nick. He glanced back once and gave a tired nod, before turning away. Judy stretched and looked up at Nick, who was yawning.

"I think it's past your bed time," she commented. Nick just laughed dryly and shook his head.

"I'll have you know, Fluff, that foxes are mainly nocturnal. It was my bed time ten hours ago." Her partner replied, walking for the front doors. Judy grinned, unable to come up with a response, before pausing as she and Nick reached the bottom steps. They'd have to part ways here, to head to each one's respective apartment. Her ears drooped at the prospect of the long walk she'd have to make, until Nick's voice interrupted her thoughts from further down the road. "You coming, Carrots?"

Judy turned to see Nick several paces away, having started the walk home before turning half around to face her, paws in his pockets. "To your place?" she asked.

"Where else this late at night?" Nick replied. "It's a longer walk to your place than it is mine, and we both need rest. It makes more sense to just go to my place, right?"

Judy nodded, happily running to catch up to the fox as he started walking again. "Glad to see you're excited to stay the night," Nick commented. This earned him a light punch to the shoulder, despite Judy's snicker.

"Who's to say that's it?" she asked. "Maybe I just want to get to bed faster? After all, you're the one who brought up me coming with you," she pointed out. Nick flattened his ears and, for once, he seemed at a loss for a response.

 _Point for Judy,_ she thought happily. _Not a bad way to end the day._


	26. Checkmate - Part I

Nick opened his eyes, expecting to see his bedroom bathed in morning sunlight as it streamed through the curtains. His pile of dirty clothes in one corner, trash overflowing from the bin in another, and a pile of questionably clean clothes at the foot of his bed; the remains of an alarm clock on his night stand where he had been too tired to replace the old one after he had smashed it for interrupting his sleep. The half-open closet, where he could see several police uniforms and, if he looked closely enough, an old, olive green shirt now too small for him.

Instead, he saw gray. And he smelled... Earth and sweat, with an underlying scent of fruity soap, like pomegranate and... Blueberries? And in his arms, which he quickly realized were wrapped around a significantly smaller frame, was a soft bundle of fluff pressed against him. It didn't take long to realize that the gray was an ear, long and soft, yet limp as it lay across his eyes. Nick stiffened slightly, doing his best to control his breathing as he slowly lifted his head to look at who or what he held.

It was entirely possible it was a stuffed rabbit he'd been given as a kit – one that he had kept close to him and used as a constant source of comfort through the years, and one of the few childhood items he had clung to (his first stuffed animal, actually). But it didn't smell like this, it didn't feel this soft, and it didn't snore.

Nor did it look _this freaking cute._

Snuggled against his chest, back to his, was Judy, wearing some slightly oversized shorts and a basketball t-shirt one size too large (they had been Finnick's at one point, but the fennec came around so rarely now that Nick was sure he wouldn't mind sharing some clothes; besides, all of her clothes at his place were dirty still). Her head rested just under his, chest slowly rising and falling with her snores, and her heartbeat – though still faster than a fox's – was beating slower than when she hugged him during the waking hours. Her mouth was open slightly, and the sunlight caught small strands of drool that she let out – something Nick was torn between finding absolutely adorable, and slightly disgusting. He settled on adorable, though he'd never let Judy know it, before he looked around his room for some signal as to what the time was. Unfortunately, with the curtains mostly closed, and his alarm clock in several dozen pieces, he had no way to do so.

That did little to stop the urges he felt that called him to the bathroom, a part of the typical morning routine for when he awoke; but there was the problem of one arm being under a certain pile of gray cuteness. But, with either attempting to move or else completely embarrasing himself and disgusting Judy, he decided to take the logical route of finding some way to leave the bed.

But first... Nick reached over for his nightstand, doing his best to leave Judy undisturbed as he grabbed his phone and went to the camera. This could be some great hustle material, the kind even he couldn't pass up.

After a quick picture of the Judy, and recording a small video that captured her snoring, Nick drew himself carefully away from the bed and climbed to the floor, quietly slipping into the bathroom to do his business. When he exited not long after, he checked up on his partner – still sound asleep, snoring loud as a plane. Satisfied, he walked out to his kitchen and began brewing a pot of coffee, beginning to check his social media. It didn't even occur to Nick how odd it could be for him and Judy to wake in the same bed when they weren't a couple; it didn't feel odd, or wrong. If anything, it was more of a comfort.

By the time his coffee was done, the fox felt relatively caught up with the world he knew and was ready to go wake his partner. However, a phone call interrupted him, from the Chief no less. Panic briefly tore through the fox – were he and Judy meant to go in at their normal time today? Without a moment's hesitation, he answered the phone, holding it up to his ear and biting back a smart opening, going with a simple "Hello?"

Bogo answered on the other line. "Wilde, good. Where's Hopps? I've tried calling her but she hasn't answered."

"Still asleep, sir. We had a late outing getting some information last night, remember?" Nick said.

"No, actually, I don't remember. But that's besides the point – we need you two to come to the Downtown Hospital."

"The hospital? Why? We can't have hurt your pride that much," Nick replied, immediately regretting his words.

"Shut it, Wilde! I don't have the patience or energy for that right now. Your friend was attacked at some point last night, and he'll only speak to you two. We're reviewing the footage of it now, but don't have any leads just yet."

Nick's ears fell along with his tail at the news. Robin had been attacked, inside the ZPD? "Got it, sir. We'll be over soon as we can."

"Make sure of it," Chief Bogo replied. "I want to put an end to all of this." Then, he hung up.

Nick sighed, and started brewing a second pot of coffee before going to wake Judy. This was already promising to be a long day.

óÓÒò ~

Nick stepped into the hospital room beside Judy, the Chief turning from his stance by the window as a nurse shut the door behind them. Both officers were in half uniform, Judy wearing her undersuit with a loose ZPD t-shirt and jeans, Nick sporting a long sleeved navy blue shirt and plain khakis. Robin was sitting up in his bed, bandages over his left cheek and new ones on his left arm. He wore just his hooded vest from the day before, and underneath new bandages stained with red could be seen.

"Finally," Bogo muttered. "Now then. We need answers," he said, turning to Robin. The fox looked up at him and let his ears fall flat, something of a whimper emitting from his throat. This somewhat startled Nick; Robin was the last mammal that seemed likely to whimper outside of a fight. The room filled with a tense silence – aside from the beeping of medical equipment - as Robin let his whimper die off, and he opened his mouth several times, only to close it without a sound.

Judy and Nick waited patiently, both taking up a seat on one side of the taller fox's medical bed. Chief Bogo snorted with clear impatience at Robin's continued silence, at one point letting out the bovine equivalent of a growl to the fox. Finally, he broke the silence with a quiet voice. "Blisk."

Judy and Nick looked to one another, a silent justification of their unease of the cheetah the night before. "Officer Blisk?" Judy asked. Robin responded with a silent nod, staring at his lap.

"Came into my cell and tried to claw my throat out," Robin muttered.

Judy turned her attention to the Chief. "Sir, do you have the files for Officer Blisk? Something we can look into to check this?"

Chief Bogo snorted at this. "Officer Blisk? I don't remember us getting an officer with that name," he said. Nick felt his ears fall against his head. The Chief knew about everyone that was in the Precinct, but he didn't remember the cheetah?

A sudden realization hit the fox, but Robin voiced it for him. "You don't know of the cheetah officer on night shift? Shouldn't you know about everyone in the Precinct?"

"Don't you doubt-" Bogo started, but Judy cut him off.

"Hang on, sir. Phraxus was able to get into SWAT – what if they got into the ZPD too? You're not around during the night shift, isn't it possible someone slipped in then?"

"They would have to be in the system," Chief Bogo replied. "Only academy graduates are entered in once they are assigned to a precinct."

"But what if there was a _very_ skilled hacker who had access to back doors on nearly every system?" Robin asked. "Could he fake the information?"

Chief Bogo stared at the fox for a moment, before his phone rang. He looked down at it and made for the door as he answered, stepping outside. Nick looked at Robin, as did Judy. "How're you feeling?" Nick asked.

"How do you think?" Robin muttered bitterly. "Between new wounds every other day and your Chief being something of an ass to me..."

"Hopefully, better than you look," Nick said. "Then again, that won't take much effort." Robin groaned, Judy lightly slapping Nick's arm despite her snicker. "But what did Blisk do to you?" Nick continued.

"Like I said, tried to rip my throat out. Higgins brought in a more medically trained officer and checked on me to make sure I was still kicking, then they left. I heard the cell doors open again not long after, I thought they were coming back for something, but it was that cheetah. I fought back, but... He's a lot bigger than me." Robin set a paw to his side, wincing. "And has bigger claws. He settled for a good cut to my side and cheek, before I about bit his tail off. He booked it after that."

Chief Bogo came back into the room, phone away as he stared at the group before him. "That was the team reviewing the footage. They found the attack, but don't recognize the officer."

"So what're _you_ going to do about it?" Robin challenged.

"What _I'm_ going to do," Chief Bogo replied, his voice falling to his low and menacing tone typically reserved for officers in trouble. "Is go back to my office, review the footage myself, and find the mammal who decided to attack someone in my Precinct. Officers Hopps, Wilde, you two are coming with me to help identify the mammal."

Robin's ears fell to his head as he looked up at the Chief in something akin to disbelief. "So you're going to leave me here, alone and injured?"

"Of course not. I have Officer Snarlof on his way to keep you company. Although, as I was reminded over the phone, you should have a crucial bit of evidence on you?" The massive cape buffalo held out a hoof expectedly, Robin staring up at him. Nick and Judy looked between the two, debating if they should get involved.

Robin sighed, reached into his vest and taking out the dog tags Arctic had given him, setting them in Bogo's comparatively huge palm. He didn't let go, however, instead letting his own voice seep into a growl. "I'm not out of this fight. You better keep me in the loop."

"You aren't an officer," Bogo reminded him. "I've let you be involved for far longer than I should have. You'll be lucky if you even hear about this case on the news."

"Uh, sir," Judy interjected. "With all he's done so far, Robin deserves to at least be informed about what he risked his life for."

Nick nodded in agreement with his partner. "He didn't have to risk his hide to get us this information. It's the least we can do."

Their chief stared down at the smaller mammals, but they stared back in clear defiance. It took some time, but finally the buffalo turned back to Robin. "Fine. You'll be kept 'in the loop.' But don't expect anything beyond that."

Robin let go of the tags as Bogo withdrew his arm, putting them in an evidence bag. He turned to leave, motioning for Nick and Judy to follow.

óÓÒò ~

Arctic sat upright in his hospital bed, immediately hissing in the pain at his shoulder, immediately laying back down. His vision was blurry, and he could feel multiple IVs hooked up to his arm. The room was dark, but not because it was night; a small turn of his head revealed that Chloe was sat on a chair by the window, curled up in a blanket as she read a book. She had looked up when the wolf shifted, giving a small smile as she saw that he'd woken up, setting down her book and going over to the bed.

"Hey," he muttered, wincing at how hoarse his voice was. He paused and took a glass of water that Chloe handed to him, taking a drink before continuing. "So, you miss me?" he asked. Chloe nodded, pointing to the chair where she had sat. Arctic sat up and glanced over; several books were in a pile, and the trash can was filled with empty cups and food wrappers. "Oh, been catching up on your reading?" he muttered, glancing to the rabbit. She nodded with a smile, before glancing to the door as a nurse walked in.

It was a doe, dressed in the typical nurse outfit, holding a clipboard as she looked over whatever was on the papers it held. She looked up and was slightly startled to see the wolf leaning up on his elbows, a pain burning in his injured shoulder and making him lean on the other one more. "A-Ah, you're awake, mister..?"

"Frost?" Arctic tried, letting out a sigh of relief as the nurse checked the paper and nodded. "Just woke."

"A little earlier than expected, but it's good to know you're awake," she replied. "I was just coming in to check on you. How do you feel?"

"My shoulder's sore and my neck hurts," the wolf replied. "What happened?"

"You took... A bullet? To the shoulder, it didn't hit anything vital but it did fracture your scapula, so I suggest you stop putting weight on it," she said, gesturing to his aching shoulder. Arctic nodded and lay back down, noting how confused the nurse was at the cause of his injury. "You're in good condition, however, and should be released sometime in the next day or two. Though, a doctor will need to come and check up on you."

"I figured as much," Arctic groaned. "Anything else I need to know?"

The doe shook her head. "Not at the moment. Do you want me to go see if the doctor can see you now?"

"If he's free," the wolf responded, nodding to the nurse as she ducked her head and walked out of the room. Arctic sighed softly, turning back to Chloe. "Before someone else interrupts, I need to tell you something. It's about your sister."

Chloe looked up at the wolf sharply, and suddenly he felt somewhat nervous under her stare. But he knew the feeling wouldn't last, so long as he finished. "I wanted to keep this until everything blew over, but that's not happening any time soon. Chloe, your sister is... Well, she's alive."

Arctic wasn't quite ready for the fierce hug he was given, gasping and flailing his good arm as Chloe choked him with affection. "Air, air!" he gasped, taking in deep breaths as he shook his head. "Alright, bunny, I know you've got your questions... Ask away."

óÓÒò ~

The day flew by in a blur. It was evening before Nick knew it, and he was still up to his neck in paperwork.

The footage had been reviewed with them present and, as was expected, Blisk was the assailant. He had entered the cell with a blanket – likely his excuse for entering in the first place – and had tried to attack Robin. As the fox had said, though, he woke up and fought back – but not without sustaining some clear injuries himself, Blisk running out of the building as several officers chased him, and two others tended to Robin's wounds.

The cell itself was a mess. The three blankets that Robin had were strewn around the cell and part way through the bars, and there were splotches of blood on them, as well as a now-dried stain of it on the floor. A forensics team was going through what they had gathered in an attempt to find out more about their assailant, but that was something bound to take time. Shreds of the fox's clothes were also present, but there weren't any scraps of blue uniform to be seen, and there was a lack of fur at the scene as well, making it all the more difficult to track down the cheetah.

But, rather than help with the actual investigation beyond input from the footage, Nick and Judy were forced to do the most horrifying task of all: paperwork. Both knew that they would have to do it at some point, but both also tried to avoid it as much as possible. It was, easily, the most boring and time-consuming thing they could've done involving the case.

As a result, in an attempt to work faster, Nick and Judy decided to keep at the paperwork in silence. Nick could tell even Judy was impressed by his devotion to the task; not once did he crack a bad joke or make some sarcastic comment as they worked. When finally - well after the two should've been sent home - they completed the paperwork, the fox and rabbit made their way to the front desk, Nick holding onto a fresh cup of coffee and Judy a cup of water.

Clawhauser was still at the front desk, going through his phone as he packed up to head home. "Hey, Spots," Nick said, catching the cheetah's attention. The feline quickly turned and grinned as he saw the two.

"Nick! Judy! What're you two still doing here? It's getting late," the cheetah asked.

"Ol' buffalo butt wanted us to do some paperwork," Nick groaned. "I think he's been saving it up."

"You two haven't been here to do it though," Clawhauser responded. "You knew it was coming. Oh, but you're all done now, right?" His grin widened as they nodded.

"Just finished," Judy said. "What're you still doing here, though? Don't you leave at the same time as everyone else?"

"Normally, yeah," Clawhauser replied. "But the Chief is still here, he said he had a conference call. He's been in it for three hours."

"Three hours?" Nick asked, scratching under his chin. "I wonder what's going on? Don't they normally only last an hour or so?"

"Normally, yeah," Clawhauser replied, leaning over his desk and looking up to the Chief's door with a hint of worry. "But I heard that it's about your case, and that it just got a lot bigger."

"How could it get bigger?" Judy asked. Clawhauser opened his mouth to reply, before Bogo's door was slammed open, the cape buffalo storming to the railing and looking down at them.

"Good. You two are still here. Hopps, come up. Wilde, you too."

The tone of his voice – more defeated than anything else – caught the three off guard. Judy looked at Nick, who gave her a shrug, before heading for the steps. The fox started following her, when a 'psst' from Clawhauser called him back. "Nick, when were you going to tell me?" the cheetah asked.

"Tell you what?" Nick asked, head tilting in curiousity. There hadn't been anything for Nick to tell him.

"That you two are a thing!" Clawhauser replied, a massive smile appearing on his face as he bunched his paws under his cheeks, pushing upwards and making him smile even more.

"Who, me and Carrots? We're not a thing, what even gave you that idea?" Nick asked, glancing to his partner as she paused at the steps. Nick waved her on, and she nodded before resuming.

"Nick, you know about smells, you're a predator too. When she came in this morning she smelled a lot like you – _a lot_ , like, more than usual. Like, same bed a lot," Clawhauser explained. Nick's ears flattened as he realized what he was saying, and immediately regretted how he didn't think of it sooner.

"Wha- Look, Spots, she and I aren't together. She slept at my place last night because it's closer and we were out late," Nick said, breaking his sentence with a quick drink of coffee. "That's it. Promise."

Clawhauser's smile faded a bit, but it still kept strong as his tail flicked behind him. "But it's not the same as today," he pressured. "Come on, Nick, you gotta tell me what happened!"

Nick sighed and looked around, ensuring no one else was present before speaking. "Alright, Benji I'll tell you the truth. We... Went home, ate a quick dinner, and went to sleep. That's it. Now look, I'd love to stay and chat, but I should get going before-"

"WILDE! Get in here!" Chief Bogo's voice boomed from above, making the fox jump.

"Before that," he finished. "I'll talk to you later, Spots, eat a donut for me!" he called out, sprinting up the steps. He entered the office and paused to catch his breath, spotting Judy waiting in a chair far too large for her. She shifted over to make room for the fox as he clambered on with her, sitting down and letting his smirk fall into place as he looked up at the Chief.

"Now then, that you're both here, we can resume this... Disaster of a call." Bogo started. He reached over to the phone on his desk and pressed a button, and immediately the voices of several other mammals sprang into the room. The buffalo winced and stared down at the source with a glare that would freeze most mammals in place, before sighing. He waited for a brief lull in the call before clearing his throat, bringing about a sort of silence. "Now that I can be heard," he said. "I have here with me the two officers leading on this case. Officers Judy Hopps, and Nick Wilde."

Judy and Nick looked to one another, with a bit of confusion. They were here to join in on the conference call?

"Ah, splendid," one voice sounded – to Nick, it was nasally. "Are they aware of everything we have discussed?"

"Not yet," Bogo replied. "I recall some of you wanting to do that yourselves."

"Not all of us wanted to wait," the female sounded, almost an irritated hiss.

"Yes, well," Another voice sounded, this one being a much softer tone than that of the others. "Officers... Hopps, and Wilde? Can you two hear us alright?"

"Loud and clear," Nick said.

"Very good. My name is William Howler, and accompanying me in this call are Ms. Shien and Mr. Bouncer," he continued. A female voice gave a warm 'hello' and the nasally voice from before did the same as they were introduced. "We also have one or two others in the call, but due to pressing matters for them they can only hear us. Now, correct me if I am mistaken, but you two have been working on this case to take down something of a cult that goes by the name of Phraxus?"

"That is correct, yes sir," Judy replied.

"This is a group that we haven't seen before in Zootopia, yet they appear to have a great amount of traction and a mass following of several hundred mammals, comprised of what appears to be eighty-nine percent predatory, and many have criminal backgrounds, according to the information delivered to us by your chief. What do you know of them?" Howler spoke calmly, but with an authority that made Bogo sit back in his chair, staring at the officers.

"We honestly don't know all that much, sir," Nick said.

"What we do know is that they are mostly armed, dangerous, and have made murder attempts on officers and civilians. A few in particular have been singled out, and these individuals have done all they can to help us with our case."

"You say civilians are helping with your case?" Shien asked. "How do they know of it?"

Nick and Judy looked to one another, then to Chief Bogo, who sighed and leaned forward again. "Officers Hopps and Wilde were initially assigned to a case regarding a series of vigilante attacks. When they found the vigilante, he revealed news of Phraxus and has since been aiding my officers in retrieving the information I have shared with you all."

"The ZPD is enlisting the assistance of a criminal now?" Shien scoffed. "I can't be surprised, it's hardly the first time after that Night Howler crisis with the conmammal playing hero."

"I'm flattered you've researched me, ma'am," Nick said, making Shien fell silent. "With all due respect," the fox continued. "This 'criminal', from what we've seen, has yet to break any real laws – yes, he intimidated other mammals but we never found any evidence to suggest he actually harmed them, or took anything."

"Assault is assault, regardless," Shein argued. "For the ZPD to be advocating this mammal's actions is simply-"

"We never once _advocated_ his actions," Chief Bogo interrupted. "We set out to bring him in for his actions. It just happens that the same mammal is more useful to us as an ally on the streets than an enemy in a cell. And you can't pretend the Bureau of Investigation hasn't enlisted the help of criminals in the past."

Judy and Nick looked to one another again. The Zootopia Bureau of Investigation was a part of this now?

"Back to the reason we are here," Howler said, not letting the argument go on any further. "This vigilante has given us quite a bit of information. We have the names of nearly all of its members, and most importantly, the one who is leading them – of course, along with his closest supporters. A Maximus Campbridge, cheetah from Outback Island, ex-gang member; Esmerelda Ocelo, ocelot from the Rainforest District, ex-SWAT sniper; as well as one more, a Lestnitsky Udvoi, wolf from the Sahara Square.

And lastly, their alleged leader: Viggo Capeli, arctic fox from Tundratown, and current CEO of Brightwater Industries. These four are currently being investigated, and we are slowly working on doing the same to the other mammals listed. Unfortunately, though, it doesn't look good."

"That is a subject that the ZBI should be working on," Shien commented.

"Yes, well, with the outbursts I've heard tonight, regulation of information may be an order, though the ZBI is in charge of investigatin Capeli," Howler responded. "Now then, as for their goal, it seems to be something akin to the plot Dawn Bellwether had against the city. Bouncer, if you will?"

"Thank you, sir. I received some documents highlighting a serum similar in design to that used by Ms. Bellwether, though it has been heavily modified and we're still trying to figure out exactly how it would work and what it would do," Bouncer said, sniffling as he paused. "Of course, being from the same plant, it could cause mammals to go savage – something we have a cure for. However, it is evident that there are heavy modifications to the formula, and new elements in the mix.

"What we can say for certain is, this version is not meant to be contained in a pellet, as was Bellwether's design. It's meant to be more of a gas, similar to steam, but from what we can discern it only works in colder environments."

"What this means," Chief Bogo sighed. "Is that Tundratown is the most likely target at the moment. But, with winter approaching, Downtown and potentially the Rainforest District, as well as multiple sub-districts, could be affected as well in the colder months."

"Correct," Bouncer confirmed, sniffing before resuming. "Unfortunately, the information provided is limited and, unless we can locate where this is being created, we are unable to know exactly what the effects are and how to counter it with an antitoxin."

"Wait," Judy interrupted. "Will the original Night Howler antidote work against this?"

"We can't be certain," Bouncer responded. "But we can assume it will mitigate the effects, if not prevent them entirely."

"So then what are we to do about this?" Shien asked. "With the ZIA witholding information there's little we can do, and this task could be far too large for the ZPD alone to do."

"I agree. It seems that, with this modified Night Howler serum, they wanted to create a mass chemical attack and, due to the lack of preparation on the behalf of the law enforcement, would have the members step in under the guise of a private army with promises of a cure. Using that they would take control of certain portions of the city and impliment a new ruling system that involves... Predators once again turning to prey as a source of food and to 'cull the population'." Howler sighed at this. "Chief Bogo, what do you think of this?"

The Chief was, again, leaning back in his chair, a hoof on his chin as he reviewed everything. "I think we need to make sure all of this information is correct before we charge into this."

"Clearly," Shien said dryly. "We're going to launch a full investigation on Capelli and his financial backers, as soon as Howler and the ZIA grant us more information."

"Which is something I am working on," Howler replied, ignoring the irritation in the female's voice. "Chief Bogo, is it possible for us to speak with the vigilante?"

"He's currently in the hospital, but I could speak with him tomorrow," the cape buffalo responded.

"Splendid," Howler replied. "I believe we have little else to discuss?"

"Uh, sir," Judy interjected. "Why did you ask for us if we were only here to confirm a few questions?"

"Well you two are the main officers assigned to this case, correct? And with such prestigious records as yours you need all the information you can get to put an end to it." Howler stated matter-of-factly.

"If that's all you needed from us," Chief Bogo started, "Then I-"

The door to his office was flung open, cutting off the buffalo as he jerked his head up. Clawhauser was standing there, bent over and panting, holding up a paw. "I just... I need a second," he said, grabbing the door frame and doing his best to stand upright. "Sir, I've just gotten a call from Officer Snarlof. Robin's gone!"

The room fell dead silent, broken a moment later by a single resounding question from everyone:

"What?!"

óÓÒò ~

"It appears you have a minor concussion, a newly cracked rib with another still healing, bruising along your cheek and neck, as well as some torn tissue in your right leg," the doctor said as he looked over his clipboard. The lion looked up from his paperwork and nodded to Robin. "You've taken quite a beating, it seems. You're very lucky that this is all the damage you've taken, especially since I see signs of other recent injuries that haven't healed."

"I lead a very active lifestyle," Robin replied.

"So it would appear," The doctor replied. "You'll need a bit of rest before you can even think about getting back to that lifestyle, however."

"Roughly how long?" Robin asked, ears lowering at the prospect of an answer he wouldn't like.

"Give it a month or so," was the response. "Your ribs need time to heal properly, as does the torn tissue, and your body itself needs time to heal before you can be back to full strength. The concussion is something we'll have to monitor, however. If we aren't careful, it could lead to something worse down the road."

"Right," Robin muttered. "Well, when's the soonest I can leave?"

"Hmmm... How are you feeling?" the lion asked, walking over to Robin's bed. Now the fox could see his nametag – a Doctor L. Glyf, a unique name.

"One hundred percent," Robin lied.

Doctor Glyf looked Robin in the eye, before nodding and lifting Robin's injured leg – to which the fox let out a hiss of pain. "I somehow doubt that, Mr. Wick. The best we can do is send you home tomorrow evening, and have you check up every few days."

"That's the absolute best? I do have something I need to attend to tomorrow morning," Robin replied.

"Yes, and now that thing will be your body. It's evident that you've been running on low sleep, low rest, low food, and low drink for well over a week. You can't go on that way."

Robin looked down and sighed, nodding. "Alright, alright. Then, can I at least ask when I'm free to move from this bed? I've got a friend somewhere in here that I would like to see."

"What's his name?" Doctor Glyf asked.

"His last name should be 'Frost'," Robin told him.

The lion looked down and sighed. "We'll see what we can do. Depending on where he is, you might be able to take a walk there. It could be a way for us to evaluate your condition later."

"Whatever I can get," Robin nodded again, smiling. "Thank you, doctor."

With a grunt of acknowledgement, the lion walked out of the room, leaving Robin alone with Officer Snarlof. The silence settled for a few moments, before the polar bear spoke. "So you're the fox that's been giving the Chief such a headache?"

Robin looked at the polar bear and gave a nervous smile. "I guess so? I haven't been trying to, I swear."

The officer chuckled and sat back in his chair. "It doesn't take much to irritate the Chief sometimes. I'm not sure if it was your consant escaping or vigilante acts that got to him first."

"I think it was both," Robin replied, laying his head down.

"Probably both," Snarlof agreed. "But hey. You realize, when all of this is done, there's not going to be much you can do about the charges against you, right?"

"Wait, there's actually charges against me?" Robin barked out a laugh. "Sheesh, you scare one or two mammals and you're the bad guy all of a sudden."

"Wait, you're surprised by it?" Snarlof asked. Robin nodded.

"I never hurt anyone. I chased, I tackled, I tried to get some information, then I took the Night Howlers and-" Robin's eyes widened as he realized something. "Oh hell. You guys don't know where all the stolen Night Howlers are! Where's my phone?" The fox began to frantically search around his bed, hissing in pain as he twisted awkwardly to search under him, before realizing his phone was in his pocket and settling down. He drew it out and began sending messages to King, letting him know that he was going to tip off Nick and Judy to where the flowers were stashed so the ZPD could contain them. Snarlof looked over at Robin cuiously, raising an eyebrow as the fox set his phone down. "The Night Howlers we intercepted, we stashed them somewhere in the Rainforest District. The ZPD can contain them and keep them safe, I just forgot to tell anyone else about them."

"Right," the officer grumbled, reaching for a magazine.

Robin lay his head down, shutting his eyes as exhaustion overwhelmed him. He yawned widely and shifted to get comfortable.

 _One day of rest, that's all.  
A lot can happen in one day.  
A lot can also not happen in one day.  
We can't take a break now, we're so close!  
If we don't rest, at least a little bit, we won't be able to finish._

...

Robin woke with a start several hours later, to a darkened room. Officer Snarlof was dozing in the corner, the blinds were drawn, and it was clearly evening. Senses flooded his body as he stretched, wincing at the pain his injuries brought him. But the most prominent of all, was hunger.

It was late, though – the chances of him ordering food were slim. As best he could remember, the latest food could be ordered was six at night – it looked more to be seven. Officer Snarlof was asleep in the corner - as was evident by his surprisingly soft snoring - and, if he was to make the decision, food was not something to alert a nurse for.

Robin checked himself for any sort of IVs or any other needles that would be stuck in him, relieved to see none, before taking off the pulse oximeter off and rolling himself out of the bed. He sank to his knees once he hit the floor, gritting his teeth. "There's no way I can just walk this off, is there?" he muttered, walking for the door to his room.

Robin pulled the door open and peeked out, taking in his surroundings. No nurses, doctors, or really anyone in sight. He rolled his eyes, muttering 'lousy security' before walking out and trotting down the hall. All he really wanted was something light – a bag of chips, maybe, or a granola bar. He just had to find a vending machine.

He looked down over himself and hesitantly zipped up his vest – if anyone did see him walking around, they didn't need to see all the bandages he wore. It took him some time, but after several twists and turns deeper into the hospital, he finally found a vending machine. After settling with a bag of chips, Robin paid for his snack and began to walk back.

Immediately, he could tell something was off. When he turned the corner to his room, his door was open, and there was clear movement even from where he stood. So he stalked closer, listening closely for whoever was inside.

"Well check the security footage, then, we need to find him!" A voice, clearly Chief Bogo, sounded.

"Sir, that'll take time. We have to-" A nurse was speaking, but Robin cleared his throat once he walked into the room. All eyes turned to him – the doe nurse, Snarlof, Bogo, Hopps and Wilde were all inside.

"Robin!" Judy said, taking a step towards him. "Where have you been?"

Robin looked at Judy curiously, then to his bag of chips. "I was hungry and the cafeteria, if I remember right, is closed. And food isn't worth calling a nurse when I can still walk. But it flatters me that you all got worried about me."

Nick facepalmed as Judy stared at Robin in exasperation, Chief Bogo practically had steam coming from his ears and Officer Snarlof looked about as lost as the nurse did. Robin stared at the group, and shrugged. "Sorry. I'll get back into bed."

"You do realize that you're not supposed to get out of the bed in the first place without a doctor or nurse?" the doe asked.

"Technically, ma'am, I shouldn't be breathing. So getting out of bed when I need food and a stretch isn't exactly high on the list of things I shouldn't be doing right now." Robin replied, walking over to his bed and carefully climbing into it.

"Hopps, Wilde. Talk to him." Chief Bogo ordered as he stomped out of the room, gesturing for the rest to follow. Officer Snarlof walked out after him, and the nurse followed with a small sigh and glare at Robin that told him to stay in bed. Robin just rolled his eyes and started eating his chips, looking at Judy and Nick as they stared at him.

"What?" he asked through a mouth full of chip.

"You just about gave Snarlof a heart attack!" Judy said. "When he woke up and you weren't here he immediately called the Precinct. We had to drop what we were doing and come here to find you."

"That implies I was lost in the first place," Robin replied. "Besides, it's the bear's fault for falling asleep. They should've gotten someone to cover night shift for him."

"That's true, but besides the point. You should know better than to get up from a hospital bed and just roam the halls!" She insisted.

"I do know better. I just don't care." Robin said, leaning back and popping another chip into his mouth.

"Sounds like someone's been taking lessons from buffalo-butt," Nick snickered, looking at Judy with a grin. But when she shot him a look that demanded he support her, he shook his head and ceased his laughter. "She has a point, though. You can't just get up and walk out of here."

"I'm not walking out of here," Robin sighed. "It hurt like hell to walk to the vending machine. You think I can make it home, take a quick nap, and be back out there tomorrow? Even I know that's crap. No, I'm going to listen for once and rest. At least for tomorrow. Besides, I've got another group of injuries!" He flung out his arms, faking a joyous expression, before becoming more sullen and staring at his lap. "Lucky me," he said bitterly.

"Alright, look," Nick said, frowning as he walked closer to Robin's bed. "No one's going to take the blame for your getting hurt, but is feeling sorry for yourself really worth it? Why not look at the good you did? We now have information that can lead us to almost every member of Phraxus and, once it's all been checked, that information could lead to what you wanted in the end. It could put a stop to them."

"And then what?" Robin asked, looking up at him. "You two resume your lives, I get put into jail _with_ Phraxus, and peace resumes as normal?"

Robin couldn't help but feel satisfied at the way Nick was at a loss for a response, and Judy's ears fell. He wasn't a fool, he knew they couldn't guaruntee him amnesty for his actions during their time together. It may have happened to him once, but twice was nearly impossible. And he also knew that, if they said yes, then it would end up making him an enemy to the ZPD yet again. Chief Bogo seemed reluctant enough to let Robin aid them, if not downright angered by it.

The fox sighed, shaking his head. "Exactly," he muttered. "There's no way for me to win. So let me feel sorry for myself after getting a concussion and more broken bones, yeah? Haven't I at least earned that much?"

There was a moment of silence before anyone spoke. "No one's saying you can't," Judy said. "But don't lose hope. You never know what could happen."

Robin stared down at the rabbit, pursing his lips before nodding. "Yeah. Who knows."

"Hey, after you're released, we need to talk," Nick said. "But first, you need to be cleared by the doctors. But for that you need some rest, and we're gonna go so you can get some. We'll try to swing by tomorrow and fill you in on what's happening, alright?"

"Alright," Robin muttered, eyes falling back to his lap. "Thank you. Both of you. Have a good night."

"Have a good night, Robin," The officers responded, before walking out and into the hallway. This left the fox alone in the general darkness of his room, where he stared down at his lap until Snarlof trudged in with a cup of coffee and sat in his corner. Robin didn't even glance at him, instead taking the half-eaten bag of chips and setting them aside.

He wasn't hungry anymore.

óÓÒò ~

"That... Could've gone better," Judy sighed, walking beside Nick as the two walked the streets. They had been told by Chief Bogo to go home and get some rest, and the two left without argument.

"I don't know, Carrots, I think that went pretty well. All things considered." Nick replied, glancing down at her.

"Right, but what do we do about him?" Judy asked. Nick frowned at this, ears pressing against his head.

"How's about, for now, we put him out of our mind and focus on getting some rest?" The fox suggested. "Speaking of, are you staying at my place again?"

"Is it closer?" Judy asked. "My feet are killing me."

"A little bit, yes. Besides, we're already on the route there and, if you need it," Nick paused in his step and lowered himself to Judy's eye level. "I can put my dexterity to good use?" He suggested, eyebrows wriggling as he smirked. It had the desired effect, Judy immediately becoming a flustered as she blushed at his suggestion. Nick laughed as he stood upright, shaking his head as he walked further along. "Relax, Carrots, I'm talking about giving you a massage."

Judy quickly caught up to his meandering pace, looking up at him and his smug expression. "A massage?"

"Yes, a massage. Did they not have those out in Bunnyburrow?" Nick looked down at her, smirk still held into place.

"They did," Judy said, rolling her eyes. "But I didn't know you knew how to."

"I am a fox of many talents, Fluff. Besides, it was good for hustling," He replied, turning his gaze forward as he rounded a corner. Judy chuckled as she walked ahead, turning around to face him as they went.

"And you're only now telling me this, why?" She questioned.

"It never came up before," Nick replied calmly. "By the way, watch out for that parking meter." He gave a short bark of a laugh as Judy spun around to avoid the nonexistent meter, before walking alongside him again. "Made you look," he said.

"You're so immature," Judy huffed, but she still gave Nick a grin.

"But you love me for it," Nick replied.

"Do I love you for it? Yes, yes I do."

óÓÒò ~

Nick yawned and stretched as he sat up from his couch, rubbing his eyes as his phone went off beside him. He took care to not smash it like the horrid alarm clocks it mimicked, before going about his morning routine.

After giving Judy a massage, as promised (though he swore he never promised her one, she insisted he did), Nick had wound up falling asleep on the couch. He woke some hours later to find Judy asleep on the floor, the TV running in the background. With a roll of his eyes and small shake of his head, the reynard picked up his partner and carried her off to his bedroom, tucking her in and flicking her nose with his tail as he walked back to the living room to resume his sleep, using his shirt as a pillow. Although now this brought a unique idea to his mind: He was treating her as something a bit more than a friend.

Nick paused as he walked into his kitchen, one ear flicking. When it had started, he wasn't entirely sure. But, several times now they had woken in the same bed, or fallen asleep while Judy lay atop him, and from what he recalled that wasn't a _friend_ thing. That was a partner thing – or, it was to him. Perhaps it was something normal to rabbits? Their culture was different from a fox's, after all. But at the same time, Judy was so unlike most rabbits.

That was something he would have to talk to her about.

Right now, however... Nick walked over to his coffee machine and started brewing a pot, before walking back over to his living room table and checking his phone. There was the typical updates from his social media, a text from Clawhauser about Gazelle's concert next year and, of course, a message from Robin.

 _Mental note, check to see how he got my number,_ Nick thought, opening the text.

'Being released around noon. Is it okay for me to stop by?'

Nick checked the time, thinking to himself on how he should wake up Judy as he set his phone back down. He'd ignore Robin's text, for now. As the coffee brewed, Nick walked into his bedroom, grinning as he found Judy still fast asleep in his bed. He walked over to his closet, digging around for something very specific, eventually finding it inside an unmarked box tucked away in a corner. He grinned, turning back to his sleeping partner as a smirk fell upon his muzzle.

óÓÒò ~

Judy couldn't tell where she was, but it was warm, and quiet. She looked around, smiling as she felt the ground around her – only for a red, fluffy tail to fall across her vision. "Nick," she giggled, batting it away, looking up to see her partner's smug expression. "Stop that, it tickles." His emerald eyes glimmered in amusement as he looked down at her from his position on what she now assumed to be his couch. Just like one of their movie nights, an old film was visible on the TV, but she couldn't quite make out what it was.

Nick opened his mouth to speak, but instead of speech, a noise like that of elephant Finnick blowing his nose came from him. Judy tilted her head, confused. "What?" she asked, only for him to repeat the sound. Before she could ask again, he repeated the sound – and again, he did it, and again, and again. Judy blinked once, and the dream Nick disappeared, replaced by blurred sunlight through her eyelids. The sound was clearer now, and Judy could finally identify the source: Nick, standing over her, party blowout in his mouth as he repeatedly blew it at her, the tip barely tickling her nose. Judy snapped her head back and covered her nose, resisting the urge to sneeze.

"Nick!" She whined, the fox grinning in amusement as he blew the noisemaker again.

"Yes, Carrots?" he asked, paws planted firmly at his hips as he looked at her.

"Will you cut that out?!" She hissed at him, covering her ears with a pillow.

"Well aren't you a party pooper," Nick chuckled, taking the blowout and setting it on his dresser. That was when she realized, she was in Nick's apartment. In his room and, more than that, in his bed. And before her, was a shirtless Nick.

Her cheeks and the insides of her ears reddened as she turned away, covering her head with a pillow again. "Nick, put on some clothes!" She shouted, just to be heard through the fabric.

"What, you don't like what you saw?" Nick replied, faking hurt in his voice, though it was erased with a snicker as she heard him open a drawer. A moment of shuffling later, and he clapped his paws. "There you go, no more shirtless Nick."

Judy peeked out from her cover, sighing softly in relief at seeing Nick wearing a ZPD t-shirt. Judy slipped out of the bed slowly and walked over to the bathroom. "Thank you," she said, turning to face Nick before shutting the door. He just nodded smugly before trotting off, leaving her to do her business.  
It didn't take long for her to join Nick in the kitchen, the smell of freshly-brewed coffee filling the air as he pushed a mug towards her. "I made a decaff pot for you," he said, turning away to start a second pot, this one likely to be regular.

"Thank you," she repeated, taking a sip of the coffee. It paled in comparison to the coffee she'd had at Robin's, but for her standards, it was still some great coffee. "So what's the agenda for today?" she asked, ears perking as her body filled with warmth from the drink.

"Well, I'd imagine the Chief wants us to be there on time," Nick replied. "So we should probably get moving. Robin wants to stop by later, told him we had work and to try tonight. And Clawhauser updated me on the Gazelle concert."

"The usual, mostly," Judy commented, taking another drink. Nick nodded, pointing to the bathroom. As if reading his mind, Judy shook her head. "You shower first, you take longer."

"Logical as always, Fluff." Nick grinned as he walked past her, his tail flicking up to tickle her nose as he brushed past. Judy, again, resisted the urge to sneeze as she rolled her eyes and began to check her phone.

óÓÒò ~

 **Here it is, and it took me much longer than expected. I had initially planned to write significantly more than this for this chapter but, due to how long it's taking me and the fact that it's only reaching about halfway to a little beyond at this point, I feel as though it would be wiser to split this into two halves. This means that there are only two chapters left in A New Face in Town, and I hope you're all ready for what comes next.**


	27. Checkmate - Part II

Nick walked into his apartment, stretching his tired body as he yawned. Finally, a weekend night where he and Judy weren't supposed to go gallavanting through the city with Robin on some fetch quest. The two of them were all sorts of excited, planning out what movies to watch and what to eat (They settled on Chinese, which Judy was picking up). It had been several long days since they had gotten the dog tags to Bogo, and they were looking forward to relaxing. The fox immediately turned for his kitchen for a glass of water, setting his keys and badge on the counter.

The sound of movement behind him caught his ear, and Nick turned to see Robin shutting the door to his apartment. "What're you doing here?" Nick asked, sighing. He was hoping for a night with Judy, having fun, but whenever Robin arrived it seemed to entail some ridiculous adventure for the next few days.

"Just to catch up on what I missed," Robin told him, not moving from the doorway. "By the way, nice apartment."

"I don't remember inviting you in," Nick said, pouring a glass of water for Robin and himself, passing one to the other reynard before taking a sip of his own.

"I don't remember the door being locked," Robin replied, tense curiosity filling his voice.

Nick raised an eyebrow. "I just got home."

"So why was it unlocked while you were at work?"

Nick lowered his glass, frowning and narrowing his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I came here earlier, and the door was unlocked. I assumed you were home, but after a few knocks I checked in. Empty." Robin frowned alongside Nick, who set his glass down and began to look around the living room.

"You came in here without my permission?" Nick asked, checking to see if anything was missing or moved.

"Bathroom," Robin muttered, looking away. Nick looked over to him, studying the fox. He was dressed in his duster and hoodie again, cargo pants visible but, to Nick's slight surprise, no boots or backpack.

"I could arrest you for trespassing," Nick reminded him.

"But you won't." Robin stated this as if it were a fact – which, really, it was. "For what it's worth, though, I'm sorry."

"So long as you didn't find my 'party box' it's fine," Nick muttered, glancing over his hallway.

"Party box?" Robin asked, tilting his head.

"Family joke. Sorry." One of Nick's ears flicked at Robin's short, single chuckle. He turned back to see the reynard's eyes lit with amusement. "What?"

"If I remember right, wasn't it some shade of green an blue?"

Nick stared at Robin, mind processing what he was just told. "Pardon?"

"Isn't the Wilde family 'party box', or 'Wilde Times Box', some shade of green edges with a blue center? It's where you keep your gag items?" Robin asked casually. Nick narrowed his eyes again at the fox, this time more curious than anything.

"How did you know that?" Nick asked.

"I remembered it," Robin said, looking into his glass with half-lidded eyes as he swirled around the water.

"Remembered it how?"

"My uncle showed it to me once, when I was a little kit. I remember it, because I lost one of the items in it. He held it over me for a long time." Robin shrugged, taking a drink from his glass.

"Your uncle," Nick repeated skeptically. He crossed his arms, one eyebrow raised at Robin curiously.

"Mhm. You might know him. A 'Victor Jay Wilde'." Robin cast Nick a glance from the corner of his eye, and Nick let his arms fall to his sides as his eyes widened and ears pressed against his head.

"What-" he started, shaking his head before he continued. Robin, clearly somewhat amused, smirked a bit as he set the glass on the counter, turning to face the older fox. "You aren't serious," Nick said, placing a paw over his face as he walked to the kitchen for his glass.

"You're right, I'm Robin." The fox chuckled, making Nick groan again as he took a drink of water. "But to prove it, my uncle is Victor Wilde. Aunt is Vivian Skye Wilde. Making you, Nick, my cousin."

"And I didn't even think we were related," Nick sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I should've known, though. Only a Wilde can get into this much trouble."

"Guess you could say we walk on the _Wilde_ side?" Robin tilted his head, arms out as he waited for a response. Nick stared at him for a moment, before laughing briefly.

"And only we can make such bad jokes," Nick added, nodding, before clearing his throat. "But how are you related to me?"

"Your dad has a brother that, clearly, you don't remember," Robin explained. "But, before you ask, my name is Wick because my mother and father never married."

Nick scratched his chin, sifting through old memories as far back as he could go. He had vague recollections of a fox similar to his father visiting when he was a kit, but beyond that, it was blank. "Refresh my memory of your dad?" Nick requested.

"He wasn't around much. About your height, fur was more russet and dirty. Amber eyes." Robin tilted his head slightly at Nick's lack of reaction. "I'm assuming you don't remember him?"

"Not really," Nick admitted, sighing.

"It's okay," Robin muttered. "Neither do I."

Nick glanced up from his glass to see Robin staring at the ground, ears pressed against his head as he sighed. He felt the urge to say something to the reynard, but between his masking his own pain at casual talk about his own father, and the revelation of their being related, he came up with nothing to say.

Robin glanced at Nick, and gave a single, soft laugh. "Sorry, I shouldn't bring that up. I know that it's... Sensitive. And, before you ask, I know it is because I've kept in touch with your mother. She told me about what happened. And again, I'm sorry."

Nick stared at Robin, contemplating what to say before shaking his head and walking back to his sink, refilling his glass. He took a long drink, before turning back to the other fox, setting his glass on the counter. "I'm over it," he said. It was a half-lie; Nick understood why his father had left when he had, but that didn't mean he had forgiven him or was okay with it. "But, I am expecting company soon, so is there anything else you needed?"

Robin stared at Nick, quiet, for a few seconds. He could tell the fox was studying him – though it was unclear what he was looking for. Nick's usual mask was already in place, his lazy smirk and half-lidded eyes in place as he leaned on the counter. "What did I miss out on while I was resting?" Robin finally asked.

Nick did a slow blink, nodding. "Right, well, turns out that information you got us for Phraxus was pretty accurate. While we're working on a mass warrant, the ZIA and ZBI have been checking on the ringleaders and what their end goal was. It looks like they want to cause a pandemic that the ZPD was unprepared for and have the members of Phraxus step up as a private security force for Brightwater Industries, promising a solution. But, the setup for what they want is very barbaric compared to today." Robin raised an eyebrow, looking at Nick expectantly. "It involved culling the prey population by killing off the elderly and using them as a source of food. I don't have to tell you how that threatens the city, do I?" Robin shook his head at this, listening intently.

"Of course not. As for the Night Howlers, they've modified Bellwether's serum into some kind of gas that, from what I've been told, needs to be in colder climates to be effective. As far as we can tell, the new mixture is lethal to small predators and prey not long after they go savage, and prey need lengthy exposure to be affected. Larger predators don't seem as likely to die from it, and take longer to go savage as well."

"How is it supposed to kill them?" Robin asked, resting his chin on his thumb. "If it's just a gas, I don't think it should be that bad. Unless, suffocation?"

"Supposedly, it clings to the lungs and cuts off air flow. But this is all speculation, and we don't hope to find out from experience." Nick yawned after his response, shaking his head tiredly.

"Alright, fair enough. And who're the ringleaders?" Robin tilted his head again, taking a drink of water.  
"Well, as it turns out, Esmerelda is one of them. So is that wolf, Lesnitsky, but there's a surprising lack of information on him. There's a cheetah, pretty sure he's the one who attacked you, named Maximus Campbridge. And the mammal at the very tip top, Capeli."

"You don't mean-" Robin started, eyes widening at the realization as Nick nodded. "Oh, hell. It's a miracle we're still kicking, then."

"Not really,"Nick said, walking over to his living room and flinging himself onto the couch. "Because, from what the ZBI has dug up so far, he's been more busy covering up Phraxus than telling them how to track us down."

"So we've gotten lucky?" Robin asked, rubbing his eyes. Nick nodded, letting out a small 'Mhm'. "Okay... I guess that's a-" Robin stopped mid-sentence as Nick's front door opened, and Judy walked inside. Nick immediately scrambled to his feet, rushing over to take the two large takeout boxes that she carried, setting them on the counter carefully. Judy muttered a thank you as their dinners was taken, before sighing lightly and brushing her paws together.

"Oh, Robin, hi! I didn't think you'd be here," She spoke cheerfully, surprise clear in her voice.

"I was just about to leave, actually," Robin said, giving Judy a nod as he moved to the door. The rabbit jumped in front of him, though, blocking his exit.

" _Actually_ ," she started. "We need to talk about a few things." She clapped her hands together, smiling in a way that initially seemed innocent enough. But Nick knew Judy well enough to see that this was her way of telling Robin that he had no choice but to sit and talk with them. Robin didn't seem to pick up on it though, or chose to ignore it, as he shook his head.

"No, I really need to go," he replied, moving again for the door. Judy, again, stepped in his way, face becoming stern as she glared up at him.

"Whatever it is can wait. This is important. And before you argue," She held up a finger, still looking up at Robin as he grit his teeth. "This _is_ more important, if you want to avoid years in jail." Nick noted in amusement at how Robin's tail flicked in irritation, and despite the fact that he could easily pick up and move the rabbit, he was clearly looking for a way around her. When Judy continued to stare at Robin, the fox finally crumbled, sighing and turning back to the living room with a grumble.

"Well done, Carrots," Nick chuckled. "You managed to ground a bird without laying a finger on him. I'm impressed. And you're not even his mother!"

"It's not fair," Robin grumbled half-jokingly, sitting on Nick's couch.

Nick, ignoring the sounds of hunger coming from his stomach at the smell of their dinner, walked over to join Judy as she sat on the far end of his couch. "Now then, since Fluff here has decided to stage an intervention without my knowledge, I believe she would like to start?"

Judy pressed against Nick as she looked over to Robin, Nick resting his head in his palm as he waited. "Thank you," Judy started – though to Nick or Robin, it was unclear. "So, Robin, first and most importantly... Where'd you get the gun?"

Robin flicked an ear dismissively, but Nick caught the slight tension Judy's question had caused the fox. "What gun?" He asked.

"You know what gun," Judy replied, crossing her arms and giving Robin a stern stare. Robin stared back in defiance, before averting his gaze outside of Nick's window.

"It isn't mine," He sighed. "It was Nick's father's. He left it with me some time ago."

Judy stiffened slightly beside Nick, and he gently set a paw on her shoulder. He had a feeling she was a little nervous at the mention of Nick's father – something he himself never brought up, and it was still a rather sensitive topic for him.

Robin clearly noticed this, glancing to Judy, then Nick, a curious light in his eyes. Nick nodded slightly, and Robin did the same. "I don't think I've brought it up before, but Nick and I are actually related. I'm his cousin – his father is my uncle, his uncle's brother is my father."

Judy looked up to Nick, who just nodded briefly. "And I'm going to have to look into it once I get back to the Precinct, but I can't say I _don't_ believe him."

"It makes sense now why you've gotten into so much trouble, Robin," Judy chuckled. "Anyone related to Nick is bound to get into some kind of mess here or there."

"Carrots, I'll have you know that my life was mess free until you barged into it," Nick said, suppressing a chuckle of his own.

"Oh, really? I distinctly remember you mentioning something about a skunk-butt rug and a mob boss. And that was _before_ I came to Zootopia." Judy grinned up at Nick, who let his ears flatten slightly.

"Then, almost mess free," he corrected. Judy just rolled her eyes, before returning her attention to Robin.

"Why do you have the gun?" She asked. Robin raised an eyebrow curiously, before sighing.

"Why else do you think? For my own protection. But I haven't used it yet, because I know they're illegal in Zootopia." The red fox glanced up and twitched an ear, before yawning. "The reason I had it in the backpack when we went to the club was specifically because I had a funny feeling something bad would happen. But I didn't need to use it – you two did."

Nick held onto his tongue as his mind came up with an argument against Robin. The sooner Judy finished her questions, the sooner they could eat and relax, and that was something he didn't want to put off for much longer. "Speaking of the club," Judy said. "I remember you wanting to bring a weapon because you said your 'melee skills were lacking', but you did just fine on the train. What did you really mean?"

Robin was silent for several minutes, letting his eyes travel to the floor and his ears fall against his head. "The last time I fought unarmed, someone I care about got hurt. Because I got cocky and didn't think I'd need a weapon. But I know that, if I had used one, I would've beaten them..." The fox scowled slightly, hugging himself gently. Judy and Nick gave him some quiet to think, before they noticed that he was digging his claws into his arms slightly.

"Robin," Nick said, making the other reyard snap his head up slightly. "Just because they got hurt doesn't mean you should beat yourself up over what happened."

"You don't understand," Robin muttered, just barely loud enough for the officers to hear him. "They almost died. They were crying for me to help, but I-" he cut himself off, curling up on the couch as he covered his ears with his paws. He began to take ragged breaths, and was clearly on the verge of tears as he shook. But the moment Judy shifted, reaching over to set a paw on him, he seemed to regain control. The fox's shaking came to an almost immediate stop, and the ragged breaths smoothed out. Robin uncurled and took a deep breath, eyes held shut as he slowly let it out, before looking up at the officers with something of an apathetic gaze.

Judy shrank back against Nick slightly; clearly, the change from near-meltdown to completely calm in an instant had unsettled her, and Nick felt the same. But he recognized what Robin had done – it was something Nick himself had done during his first years of hustling, and his forming a mask. "Ever since that day, I haven't trusted my ability to fight unarmed. I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me. Please – just, ask whatever your next question was, Hopps."

Judy glanced up to Nick, who had let his face become a blank slate as he analyzed the fox across from him. His ears were raised up, his tail still, and his eyes somewhat dull. There was no more shaking, and his breathing seemed to be normal. Robin glanced over to Nick, and the two locked eyes. Nick studied him there, and in response Robin seemed to put up barriers. His eyes grew more glazed, expression more neutral.

"Right," Judy spoke softly after a moment. "You mentioned your dad. Who is he?"

"Johnathan Wick, retired member of the Outback Island ZPD." Robin replied in a monotonous tone, turning his head to look at Judy rather than Nick.

"But isn't Nick the first fox on the ZPD? And didn't you tell us that your father's name was 'Aiden' before?" Judy questioned, her head tilting. Nick gave a subtle nod, approving of the question. This was something brought up long ago, but that the two had never gotten around to having answered. Robin looked at the two cautiously, before giving a soft sigh.

"He is, yes. My father was not an actual member of the ZPD – he's actually ex-military, used to help operate tanks. And his real name is, yes, Aiden Wilde. That's all I can tell you, though."

"Why?" Judy asked, sitting up slightly. Her ears rose up in curiousity, and Nick had bring his paws between them and push them aside to see more than gray fur. She looked up and gave an apologetic smile, ears settling out of Nick's immediate line of sight as she waited for an answer.

"Because that's the rules. Technically, I shouldn't have told you even that much." Robin leaned back, rubbing his eyes. "But I trust you two enough. Anything else?"

Judy looked up for a moment, before shaking her head. Both her and Robin then looked to Nick. "How did you get our phone numbers?" Nick asked.

"I hope you're not expecting some ridiculous and convoluted story for that," Robin said, digging into a pocket. He took out his wallet, and took out two small cards with a golden ZPD badge – one for Nick, one for Judy. "I found them in the cruiser when you two dragged me to the diner. Anything else?"

Nick shook his head, and Robin gave a satisfied grunt. "Right. Then if it's all the same with you two, I'm off." He stood up as he spoke, walking for the door. Judy got up as well, bouncing to the floor and letting Nick stretch out. Just as Robin reached the door however, Judy stopped him.

"Wait," She stared, holding out a paw. The taller fox paused and turned his head to look at her. "Robin... You _are_ going to tell us what happened on Outback Island, right?"

Robin stared at the rabbit for a moment, before sighing "We'll see," and walking out. He gave Judy no chance to ask another question as he silently shut the door and, just like that, it was almost as if he wasn't there.

Judy let out a sigh of her own, flopping onto the couch. Nick stood up and walked over to the counter, grabbing their still-warm containers and chopsticks before returning to his side of the couch. He passed Judy her container, but held her chopsticks out of reach as he studied her. She still seemed a little on-edge about something, and it was nagging at him. "Alright, Carrots, what're you hiding?" he asked, smirking slightly at the light of surprise he caught in her eyes.

"I'm not hiding anything," she replied.

"Mmm. You're a terrible liar," Nick chuckled, before letting his epression turn a bit more serious. "But really, what is it?"

Judy stared up at Nick defiantly, before biting her lip and nodding. "I'm just... Glad he's gone so we can eat, I guess."

Nick waited a moment longer, before handing Judy her chopsticks. He didn't entirely believe her, but the grumbling in his stomach made him decide to have faith in the rabbit to not keep secrets from him. So instead, he sat down and popped open the container, taking in a long sniff of the delicious aroma that arose from it. He reached in and plucked out a piece of orange chicken from the pool of lo mein, and popped it into his mouth.

"You should've seen the look I got when I ordered that," Judy snickered. "The poor buck couldn't believe his ears!"

óÓÒò ~

Robin breathed a sigh of relief as he shut the door to Nick's apartment behind him. He cast a glance down the hallway before heading off towards the exit, occasionally looking over his shoulder as he went. Hopefully, neither officer would notice what he had taken was missing for a long time.

With a nod to the skunk at the front desk, who nodded back, he walked out of the building and turned into the parking lot. It didn't take long for him to find King's car, and he jumped in with a groan. "Sorry that took so long," he said.

"Don't worry, I wasn't in a rush," the panther replied, starting the car and backing out of his spot. "What took so long, though?"

"Judy showed up and had a few questions," Robin muttered, before letting out a yawn. His near-meltdown earlier had taken a toll on him, and it left him feeling rather tired. It was the second one he had begun today, and he needed some rest before he couldn't keep himself together anymore. "But I got it."

King grunted in satisfaction, before turning his radio up and letting rap music fill the vehicle. Robin just leaned his head back against the seat, eyes shutting as he took deep breaths. His mind drifted lazily from thought to thought as he tried to relax, before something in the back of his mind began to nag at him. He did his best to ingore it, but it persisted until he acknowledged what it was. "Hey, I have a favor to ask of you," the fox spoke suddenly.

"Go ahead," King replied, turning down his music so it was easier for the two to talk.

"After tomorrow, you guys should pack up and head out of town for a while. Take your mom someplace nice, have your brothers tag along. See family. You need a break from this." Robin leaned forward and opened his eyes as he spoke, looking over to the panther.

King tilted his head from side to side, debating it. "What about you?"

"I'll probably go back to my family. It's been a long time since I've seen them," Robin yawned. "My mom's been doing her best to get me come back out there."

"Have you even seen her since you got back?" King asked. Robin looked out the window in silence, guilt settling over him. "Then yeah, you need to go visit."

"I will, I will," Robin sighed. "Just after everything's settled."

"I'll hold you to it," King said, turning his radio back up. Robin nodded, staring out the window without another word. The fox let his right paw fall to the slight bulge coming from his jacket, taking a deep breath as he became calmer. This task was over – he had the gun back. Now he just had to wait until Phraxus was defeated before visiting his family, and getting rid of it.

With another yawn, Robin sat back in his seat. "I need a shot," he muttered.

~ óÓÒò ~

Judy looked up at Nick as they rode in the elevator to the top of the Brightwater building. She took a deep, steadying breath as they ascended, her mind flicking back to when Chief Bogo had called them to his office earlier in the day. They had been given the task of approaching Viggo Capeli and escorting him to the courthouse to be tried for the surprising number of charges from the ZIA and ZBI. Although somewhat unorthodox, it was given to Bogo from both agencies. He was kind enough to wait until monday though, letting the officers rest up on their weekend.

It wasn't just the two who had been sent in, though; several other officers were in the lobby, as well as Officers Francine and Fangmeyer being with them in the elevator. The reasoning for so many officers was that, none of them knew what Capeli would do, or even if he knew they were coming.

Nick cast a glance down to Judy, giving a reassuring smile before his smirk returned. He bumped her with his elbow, before muttering "I wonder if the building is compensating for something?"

The rabbit gave a faint snicker, but it ceased as the elevator doors opened up with a ding. The elevator opened directly into a simple hallway, benches of various sizes on the walls and separated by large potted plants. The floor was a comforting wood-colored tile, with the walls being a bleached white, and a burgundy hex-patterned rug leading up to a desk. It was a semi-circle desk, stacks of papers and pencils visible at the top. Behind it sat a tigress, dressed in a forest green dress, who was typing away at the computer before her. She looked up as the elevator opened, golden eyes widening in surprise as the officers stepped out. She waited until they were almost to her desk before speaking: "Uh, hello officers. Can I help you?"

Judy nodded, dragging the tigress's gaze down to her as she rocked on her heels slightly, putting on a friendly smile as she read the name plate on the desk: Ellen Roehing. "Yes, ma'am. I'm Officer Hopps, ZPD," she tapped at her badge briefly, out of habit at this point when doing an introduction. "With me are Officers Wilde, Francine, and Fangmeyer." She gestured to each officer as she introduced them, who all gave the tigress a small nod or some sound of greeting. "We're here to see mister Capeli about an ongoing case; could we speak with him?"

"I see," Ellen mumbled, nodding. "He might be in a conference call at the moment, would it be okay for me to check if he's free, first?"

"Of course," Judy replied, nodding and adding a smile.

Ellen nodded back and gave a 'thank you' before reaching over and pressing a button on what Judy assumed was a phone at her desk. It gave a loud buzz, before she spoke. "Excuse me, mister Capeli?"

It took a brief moment, but the buzz sounded again before a vaguelly Italian voice sounded. "Yes?"

"I have several officers here wishing to speak with you about a case, is it alright for me to send them in?" The tigress asked.

"Of course, of course. I just finished my call," Capeli answered. Ellen leaned back from the phone and gave each officer a quick glance, before setting her paws down on the table.

"His office is just through those doors," she said, turning and nodding to the wooden doors.

"Thank you, ma'am," Nick gave her a nod as he turned with Judy and Fangmeyer to enter the room. Officer Francine stayed behind, a silent way of ensuring no one could get in or out unexpectedly.

"Of course; I hope you have a wonderful evening," Ellen replied, giving the three a warm smile as they went.

Judy was the first to enter the room. It was fairly spacious, small bookcases on either side of the doorway, a similar rug from the hallway taking the form of a carpet in here, and held the faint smell of cherry cigars. The center of the room had a small glass coffee table, with a set of four black chairs around it and, in the right corner elevated by just a few steps, sat a humble wooden desk with little more than a bamboo plant on the far side adorning it. The desk itself was next to and facing large glass walls, which overlooked the city from roughly twelve stories up. And sat at the desk, turning in a black computer chair to face the officers, sat Viggo Capeli.

The arctic fox was dressed in a black suit, navy blue undershirt, and black tie. His amber eyes immediately scanned the three officers, a smile breaking out over his face as he held out his paws lightly, rising out of his chair. "Ah, officers. Apologies for the smell, I normally don't smoke when I expect company. I've been told you request my aid in a case you have?"

"Aid is a certain way of putting it," Nick replied.

Judy took a deep breath, before looking up at the arctic fox. "Viggo Capeli, you are being called to an immediate court hearing at the Downtown Courthouse."

The fox appeared, initially, taken aback. He leaned back slightly, flicking an ear as he studied the officers. "May I ask what for?"

"Charges of corruption, money laundering, attempted proxy murder, illegal drug dealing, amongst others," Fangmeyer responded. Judy watched as Viggo nodded with a sigh, appearing deflated for a moment, before perking up to his previous carefree attitude.

"While that's quite a list, a suppose the CEO of any large company should expect such things. Though I admit, never would I have expected such accusations to appear all at once. Am I still to be read my right?" The arctic fox cocked his head slightly, his tail flicking idly in anticipation. It was clear even to Judy that he was nervous.

"Of course." Judy began to recite Viggo his rights as Nick walked over and drew out his handcuffs. The arctic fox complied with the silent order, holding out his paws and nodding as he listened to Judy, the only other sound being the clank of metal as the cuffs locked into place.

The three began to silently escort the arctic fox from his office, Judy standing on his left and Nick on his right, with Fangmeyer behind them. As they passed by the desk, the arctic fox turned his head to the tigress with a sheepish grin. "Ellen, clear my next few days, if you would? It seems I'll be out, unfortunately."

Judy didn't miss the feline's look of surprise, though she nodded and stuttered an affirmative as the group, now with Francine, walked into the elevator. As they descended to the bottom level, Capeli spoke again. "You said that this was an immediate court calling, yes? This means that the news hasn't had a chance to rally its reporters to my doorstep?"

"That's correct," Nick confirmed, keeping his gaze straight ahead. Judy noticed how his smirk had gone, and his expression was now neutral.

"Fantastic," the arctic fox replied. It was a little strange to Judy how he was able to keep such a cheery tone despite being brought straight to court on such charges. "Perhaps this won't tarnish my image as much as I had anticipated. It's hard enough to reach a high position as it is, but being a fox with these charges is something akin to corporate suicide. I dread what could happen to the company if groundless scandals erupt from this."

"I don't think that will be a problem, sir," Nick stated, the ding of the elevator chiming as the doors parted and the officer led the CEO forward. The remainder of the journey was, largely, in silence. Viggo didn't say a word as he was led into the back of Nick and Judy's police cruiser, although the cheery smile never left his face. It was slightly unnerving to the rabbit, but she thought nothing of it as the vehicle began on its route to the courthouse, Nick at the wheel, and several cruiser ahead and behind them.

The sound of a brief laugh caused Judy to turn around in her seat. Viggo was currently staring out the window, his cheerful expression now changed into a somewhat content smirk. His eyes flicked towards her, and the smirk shifted to the smile from before as he turned his head. "Yes, officer?" he asked.

"Did you laugh just now?" Judy asked.

The arctic fox nodded, grinning at the bunny. "Apologies, I just had an amusing thought," he explained. "From your expression, I'm assuming you want me to share?"

"I'm a little curious, yes," Judy nodded, glancing to Nick. The fox glanced back, offering a reassuring smile.

Viggo shifted to sit almost behind Judy's seat, glancing out the left window once as he leaned slightly closer to her. "It's just that, all of you officers are so tense, even around me. It's clear have no ill intent, or I should hope it's clear. Which leads me to beg the question... Why are you so serious?"

Judy took a second to drink in the words, opening her mouth to respond, before a horrid screeching of metal sounded from the left. Gravity seemed to leave her as she lifted from her seat, glass shattering and being flung around her. Then gravity returned, drawing her towards her door, then the roof, then to Nick's door, and the cycle repeated. She had the brief sensation of something closing around her, before she felt her head colliding with the side of her seat, and she lost consciousness.

~ óÓÒò ~

"Thank you for the timely rescue, my love," Fangs groaned, rubbing his side as Esmerelda continued to drive the humble sedan through the Downtown streets. She purred softly as she felt the arctic fox beside her lean over and place a kiss to her cheek, and were it not for the traffic she had to navigate, she would've happily returned the gesture. "Although, next time, I suggest a less... Treacherous method?" He pressed lightly against his side, hissing as he felt pain. Something was definitely not right, clearly, but he sat back in his seat without another word.

"I'm sorry, _meil,_ " she responded, glancing over her shoulder as she switched lanes. "We were a bit short on time, and didn't have much to work with. Thankfully, that _perra traidora_ Lesnitsky left us with a SWAT van."

"Now now, language," Fangs admonished. "Though he has deserved such names."

"He deserves a bullet to the brain, as well," the ocelot hissed. "Or would you rather we took our time with him?"

"Whichever you would prefer," Fangs chuckled. Esmerelda grinned maliciously, her mind filling of the various ways to inflict pain on the brown wolf. "And judging from your smile, I think I know which you choose."

"Red hot metal kebab skewers through him," Esmerelda said, unable to help but grin at the idea. "I've been waiting to try that one." She felt warmth spread through her as Fangs chuckled, reaching out to flick his pure white tail against hers.

"But before that, I have one thing I would like to take care of myself," the other said. "Do you think you could drop me off somewhere?"

"Of course. Where should we go?" The ocelot glanced to the arctic fox, noticing the clear fire in his eyes.

"The home of that red fox we've been after. After this incident, I wish to deal with him personally." Fangs turned and began to rifle through the middle compartment of the vehicle. "Do you have the spare inhaler I gave you?"

"Of course, it's in my pack. Under your seat."

"Thank you, my dear." The fox turned and reached under his seat, dragging out a simple leather backpack not much more than a foot in height, and began to rummage through it. "Oh, and to be clear, I want to do this alone. I feel like spoiling myself a little bit today – I didn't learn half a dozen martial arts only to not use them." He grinned as he withdrew a clear plastic inhaler, filled with a faintly blue gas.

"Do you want me to pick you up afterwords?" Esmerelda asked, beginning to change their course.

"No, I'll meet you elsewhere. I do fancy that car of his; after today, I don't think he'll need it. I'm sure he won't mind me taking it." Fangs leaned back in his seat, chuckling softly to himself.

~ óÓÒò ~

Robin walked out of his bathroom and yawned widely, steam pouring out from his recent shower as he tossed his clothes into one corner of his room before turning to the kitchen. His stomach grumbled as he made his way down the hall, but it turned to silence as he froze mid-step.

Sitting on his couch, one leg over the other and gazing casually out of the window outside, was a sharply-dressed arctic fox. Out of instinct more than anything, Robin's paw flew to where his baton usually sat – but it wasn't on his hip. Instead, it was safely tucked away inside his duster, beside the gun, which was on the corner of the same couch the arctic fox was on.

It didn't take long for the arctic fox to notice Robin, and he turned to face him with a smile. His amber eyes locked onto Robin's, and the smile grew. "Ah, evening. I hope you don't mind, but I helped myself to a glass of water as I waited."

Robin flicked an ear at the surprising politeness of the intruder. His pressed his paws to his pockets in hopes of finding his phone, but that was charging on the kitchen counter. "Not at all. Though I don't believe I let you in," Robin replied, making sure his voice was steady and expression about as neutral as he could make it.

"Ah that, yes. I let myself in – my business here is fairly urgent. I need a word with you." The arctic fox nodded towards the recliner angled to face the couch. Robin narrowed his eyes slightly as he walked over, pausing with a paw on the top of the chair.

"Well, here I am," Robin stated, gesturing to himself. "What did you need to talk to me about?" He flicked his tail as the back of his mind began to urge him to move, leave the room. That 'sixth sense' of his was going off, but he forced himself to stay at the spot.

"Right, well, it appears that there seems to be a bit of a mix-up here." The arctic fox stood up and began to very slowly walk around the table that separated the two. "I've been charged with a series of crimes, and my sources tell me that you're the one accusing me of them. And while there's nothing wrong with that, I have to say," the fox stopped just outside of arm's reach, and Robin realized just how large he was for a fox. Where he was taller than average for a fox, this arctic one stood even taller than he did, Robin's ears only meeting the other's eyes. "I don't take kindly to those who try to ruin my business," he growled.

Robin leaned back as the arctic fox swiped at him, missing a set of claws by inches. He jumped backwards, spinning around and diving for his duster as the other fox pounced after him. Robin grabbed his coat and tore it from the couch, bringing it up to cover himself from the arctic fox's claws as he jumped forward to swipe at him. Robin spun with the swipe, reaching out a leg to sweep the arctic fox's feet from under him, but was met with air as he turned. A quick kick was sent to his side, toppling him to the floor and the contents of his coat onto the ground, where he rolled onto his back and prepared to kick the arctic fox off of him. Much to his surprise, however, the other was simply adjusting his suit, a broad smile on his muzzle.

"I can see why you're still alive," he commented. Robin took the time to scramble to his feet and grab his baton, tearing it from its sheathe but keeping it collapsed. "I'm sure you have questions, but alas, all you will know is who I am. I'm sure you can piece together why after that. You most likely know me as Fangs, but to the majority of the rest of the world I am Viggo Capeli. And you," he continued, drawing out a clear inhaler filled with a faint blue gas. "Are what stands between me and my dreams." He pressed the inhaler to his mouth and breathed in the gas, eyes held shut. It took a moment for it to register what the gas was, and Robin's heart sank.

"You can't kill me," Robing warned, hoping that he sounded more convincing that he felt at the moment. He felt his instincts going haywire, demanding he leave, but felt rooted to the spot as his opponent set the now-empty inhaler on the counter, and opened his eyes. It alarmed the reynard to see that the amber eyes were now dialated and, in a way, primal in shape. Similar to a savage animal, but still clearly holding onto the evolved, civilized portion of their being.

Before he had time to process anything else, the arctic fox leaped forward. Robin held up his arms to soften the impact of the tackle, bringing his knee up hit Fangs in the stomach. When the large fox didn't budge, he aimed to knee his side, using the force and momentum to roll the two over. Robin forced his arms down, holding onto the baton with both paws as he pressed against the pinned fox's neck. He received a kick to his stomach that sent him off his foe in response, making him land with a grunt.

The red fox rolled over as soon as he was able, narrowly dodging a heavy stomp from Fangs as he did so. Pushing himself to his feet, Robin swung his baton at the arctic fox, the clack of metal sounding as it extended and smacked into his side. Fangs let out a cry of pain as something clearly snapped, but he held onto the baton and yanked Robin closer. Robin was pulled straight into the larger fox's elbow, and he released the baton as he fell backwards, one paw holding his head as he tried pushing himself backwards. Stars filled his vision as he was kicked in the side of the head, rolling with the blow to rise to his feet.

Fangs made an overhead swing with the baton, Robin narrowly sidestepping in time. Turning slightly, the red fox hooked an arm around the white fox's neck, placing one foot behind and between his foe's legs as he pulled. Fangs was sent to the ground, and Robin stomped onto the arm holding onto the baton in an attempt to free his weapon. Fangs retaliated by reaching up to grab the back of Robin's shirt with his free arm, yanking the fox down and freeing himself. Fangs was on the smaller predator a second later, pressing against Robin's throat with the baton. Robin pushed back up against the pressure, but could feel his strength waning as he tried to free himself. In desparation, he leaned over to the arctic fox's nearest paw, and bit on it. The arctic fox cried in pain again as he recoiled, freeing Robin.

The red fox rolled over and scrambled to his feet, looking around for anything he could use. The buzzing of his phone on the counter drew his attention, and he reached out to grab it. His fingers flew across the screen as he tried to dial a number, but he was torn away by Fangs grabbing the back of his shirt and pulling. Robin was flung to the ground as a result, and he turned just in time to avoid a swing from the baton. He rolled back over the weapon, pinning it down, and kicked out at his opponent.

Fangs took the blow, but grabbed onto Robin's foot and held him in place as he released the baton and prepared a punch to the side of his knee. Robin twisted in the arctic fox's grip, taking the blow to the back of the knee but preventing it from being broken. Lashing out with another kick to his foe's stomach, Robin felt comfort at the grunt given and his leg being let go. He scrambled forward, diving for his coat. He barely escaped Fangs' attempt to grab his tail by inches, and rolled as the red fox landed where he wanted. He began to rifle through pockets, trying to find one of his knives, but was stopped as he felt the baton press against his neck from behind.

He looked to both sides, again trying to bite at one of Fangs' paws, but the arctic fox had placed them out of reach. In another attempt to free himself, the red fox lashed downwards, letting his claws dig into the other's foot. Another cry of pain, followed shortly after by the baton being removed from his neck and letting him collapse to the ground. Robin coughed, one paw grabbing his throat as he forced himself forward. As Fangs recovered, Robin closed his fingers around his new weapon, rising up and turning around.

Pain filled his body as Robin tried to lift up the pistol he had grabbed, doing his best to level it with the fox's shoulder. "I don't want to kill you," he hissed, the arctic fox pausing at the words. A brief flicker of surprise went across his face, before he gave Robin a malicious grin. Fangs drew back an arm and threw the baton at Robin, making the red fox shift to the side to dodge. In the brief second Robin had to look away, Fangs was on him – grabbing the fox's gun arm and turning it away, using his other paw to give him a right hook and send him nearly to the ground. The edges of Robin's vision turned to black as he began to see through a tunnel. He felt disoriented as he rose to his feet, turning to face Fangs again, attempting to raise the gun up.

The arctic fox bat away Robin's arm again, punching the smaller fox several times in the chest before grabbing his shirt collar and spinning him around. Unable to keep his balance, Robin fell to the ground, pain filling his chest as he coughed. His vision was blurred now, the edges still covered in black. He tried again to force himself to his feet, eyes widening as Fangs lifted him up. The arctic fox punched Robin in the stomach again, making him cough heavily, before swiping at his head. Robin managed to lean back in time to take only a cut above his eyes, the new pain making him grit his teeth.

The red fox tried once again to lift the gun, but Fangs took hold of his wrist and tilted it so that the barrel was almost under Robin's muzzle. Robin tilted his head away just enough to avoid the shot that Fangs forced him to fire, feeling the round brush past and burn him slightly, before his world was spun around and he felt himself collide with a wall. Fangs punched the red fox in the head again, and Robin finally felt the gun ripped from his grasp.

He barely heard the gunshot, but felt the pain as the bullet entered his side. His mind growing fuzzy, Robin slid down the wall, barely aware of the warm streak on his back from his blood. Fangs stood over him, laughing as he removed the magazine from the gun and tossed it away. "I expected more from you," he commented, making Robin look up slowly. "You can put up a fight, but that was pitiful from the fox who took on five mammals and lived."

Robin said nothing as he looked back to the ground, slowly bringing a paw to his wounded side. He licked his dry lips, jumping slightly as he felt something land beside him – the gun. "I think my business here is done. I hope you don't mind if I borrow your car," Fangs grinned, turning and walking to Robin's duster. The red fox watched him go, before turning to look at the gun. Though his mind was still fuzzy, it was racing for ways for him to make it out of this. He knew that he had to do something quick, but if Fangs caught him moving he stood no chance.

He continued to stare at the gun, until something clicked. Fangs had only removed the magazine. Forcing his eyes open more, Robin lifted his head to the arctic fox, groaning something as he lifted a paw in hopes of drawing him back over. Once Fangs had found the car keys in one of the duster's pockets, he turned and spotted the red fox. Grinning in wicked amusement, he began to walk over. "What's that?" he asked, once Robin muttered something.

To Robin's benefit, the arctic fox began to walk over again. He continued to mutter what he had been saying, making Fangs pause near him and crouch down. The cruel grin never once left his face, but he leaned close to Robin. "One more time, I want to hear your dying words."

Robin reached up and weakly grabbed onto Fangs' shirt, holding him in place. His other paw reached out for the gun as he drew himself up, hoping that he had it level with the other fox out of his view. "I said," the red fox groaned. _"You. Can't. Kill. Me."_

Robin, without hesitation, pulled the trigger. Fangs' eyes widened slightly in confusion, then to shock as he looked down. Aimed at his chest, hovering not far from his heart and clearly over a lung, was the smoking barrel of the P99. Fangs chuckled softly, standing up as Robin let go of his shirt. The arctic fox took a few steps back, before looking down at Robin with a final grin. "You haven't won," he coughed out, voice becoming a gurgle.

"Neither have you," Robin hissed, setting the gun down. Fangs gave a short, choking laugh, before collapsing backwards onto the ground. Robin took a deep breath, putting as much pressure onto his side as he could before he mustered all his strength and attempted to reach for his phone a few feet away, on the edge of the counter. He reached up for it, kneeling as best he could in his pained state, before collapsing. "Karma, not yet," he muttered, shutting his eyes.

 **There you have it.**

 **One more chapter left, and then ANFiT is over.**

 **I recommend listening to either 'Maniacs' or 'Mental Meta Metal' by Jeff Williams (Red Vs Blue) for the final fight, as it was the theme I had going for it.**

 **See you next week,**

 **N'yrthghar**


	28. Aftermath

When Judy felt herself rising from the depths of sleep, the first thing she registered was her raging headache. Blood pounded in her ears, the only sound aside from the constant, high-pitched beeping – though she couldn't place where that was coming from. It echoed through her head, drawing her further from the comfort of unconsciousness, and she worked to suppress the sound and return to sleep until the faintest sounds of voices drifted to her ears. At first they were muffled sounds that only vaguelly resembled words, audible blobs of rising and falling sounds she could hardly identify. But with a little focus, the pounding in her ears faded, letting her hear what was being said more clearly.

"-promises of a full recovery. The other one will be fine, but shouldn't work within the next two weeks at least. As for her, we're working on exactly what medication to order. But they all will need rest."

"Thank you, doctor." That sounded like Chief Bogo. "Do you know when any of them will be awake?"

"Officer Hopps' anesthetic should be wearing off shortly. You can wait here in her room if you would like."

"Alright. Is there anything else I need to know?"

"No, but I will update you as I learn more on the other two."

A sigh. "Thank you, doctor."

Judy opened her eyes slightly as she heard the heavy thuds of Chief Bogo enter her room, hissing slightly as the light stung her eyes. She gave herself time to adjust to the light, slowly opening them as she felt comfortable. Chief Bogo was silent, sitting himself down in a nearby chair as he waited. When she turned to look at him, the Chief gave the rabbit a sad look. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I have the worst headache," she admitted, surprised to hear her voice sounding so raspy. The cape buffalo sighed and nodded.

"That's to be expected. Can you see alright? Do you hurt anywhere?"

Judy silently did a mental check of her body. Aside from the headache, she was really only sore, though she had a faint burning sensation on her left arm. "I'm sore, and my arm burns," she told him. The buffalo nodded again.

"The burning would be cuts from glass your cruiser. And you're probably sore because you've been laying in this bed for nearly a day." Chief Bogo rubbed the bridge of his nose between his hooves, giving a heavy sigh.

"A day?" Judy asked, sitting slightly upright. Her head began to swim as a result, making her let out a disoriented groan and lay back down. "What happened?"

"Do you want the full story, or just a summary?" Bogo asked. He sounded more hopeful when mentioning the summary, but it was clear he knew what Judy would ask for.

"The full thing," she stated with a nod.

Chief Bogo sighed again. "Alright. You were taking Viggo Capeli to the Downtown courthouse when you reached an intersection, where a SWAT van driven by a member of Phraxus rammed you. There was also a bus that was with it to block off the cruisers behind yours, and a pair of vans that cut off the cruisers from in front. You were rolled three times. According to the doctor and paramedics, you hit your head and almost suffered a concussion, but your partner managed to take the majority of the impact. Viggo Capeli was nowhere to be found, nor was the driver to the SWAT van. Everyone else was apprehended."

Judy felt her mouth go dry at the thought of Nick being injured in the crash, and her heart pick up its pace. "Is... Nick okay?" she asked, voice filled with tension.

"He dislocated his right arm, suffered a concussion, is missing the tip of an ear and was cut in too many places to count by the glass," the chief admitted. "But, he's going to be fine. Doctor Mossman, who has been overseeing all three of you, put his arm back into place and is patching Officer Wilde up as we speak." The Chief sat back in his chair, the slightly-too-small seat groaning as he did so. Judy sat in silence, drinking in what she was told. Nick was hurt, but he was okay. That was what mattered.

Then, something struck Judy. "Sir, you said the doctor was seeing three of us? But mister Capeli wasn't anywhere to be found?"

"That is correct, Hopps," the chief said with a nod. "Robin was put in the ICU last night. He was found in his house by a friend of his, as well as the body of Capeli."

"What?." Judy asked in slight bewilderment, frowning from the confusion. She couldn't think of a reason for him to be in the hospital – he had fought several mammals at once, and come out on top. Surely one couldn't hurt him that badly? "Why is he in the hospital?"

"He suffered a gunshot wound to the side, as well as significant blood loss," a new voice said, though it was quickly identified as the voice that Chief Bogo was speaking with earlier. Judy turned to see a gray-furred coyote in a doctor's outfit step into the room, clipboard held under his arm. The nametag he wore read as 'Doctor H. Mossman, WWD'. "Officer Hopps, I'm glad to see you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"I have a horrible headache," she repeated. The doctor nodded and leaned outside the room, calling over a nurse and asking her to bring some water for Judy. It took a moment, but the doctor leaned out of the room again, gently offering the rabbit a clear plastic cup of water. Never before had Judy been so thankful for a simple cup of water, and she gulped it down greedily, before turning to the doctor, voice no longer raspy. "How is Nick doing?"

"Officer Wilde is fine; we've just finished checking his cuts, and he should be back to a hundred percent in no time," the coyote reassured her. "The real problem here is mister Wick. Chief Bogo, if I may have a word with you?"

"Of course," The Chief muttered, rising from his seat with a small grunt and walking after the doctor outside of the room. Neither of them shut the door, however, letting Judy and her sharp hearing overhear the conversation.

"I'm sorry to bother you so soon, but this is a very troubling situation. Few doctors these days are trained to work with gunshot wounds, but even those of us who have experience have limits. I'm not entirely sure we can remove the bullet while he has so little blood. As it is, we're having a hard time keeping him stable." Doctor Mossman sounded remorseful and hesitant as he spoke, clearly apprehensive.

"Are there any donors who could help keep him stable?" The Chief asked, his voice low.

"Finding a red fox donor with this little time is an unlikely; I would request Officer Wilde, but he suffered some blood loss as well. I'm not entirely comfortable with asking him to donate."

"Well you don't have to ask him," came a voice – Nick's. Judy's heart leaped in joy at hearing him – he was up and about surprisingly quickly. "If Robin needs blood, and I can spare some, then do it."

"Officer Wilde, you shouldn't be up yet," Doctor Mossman said sternly.

"And I also shouldn't be in two wrecks in under a month, but here I am," Nick replied. Judy could practically see the smirk forming on his muzzle.

The doctor let out a sigh. "Chief Bogo, what do you recommend?"

"Wilde, are you sure you're okay to do this?" The Chief asked.

"If I wasn't, would I be offering? No, no I wouldn't." Nick's response came without hesitation. "But I want to see Judy first."

Doctor Mossman made a noise like clicking his tongue, before letting out a soft sigh. "Very well. She's inside here; I'll go prepare."

Judy pushed herself upright as the sound of movement came from outside. She felt an uncontrollable smile appear on her on her face as she spotted Nick – his left ear had the tip missing and was bandaged, as was the base of his head and his left arm. The fox held out his arms in greeting as he made his way over to a chair, dragging it over to Judy's bed and climbing atop it. The bunny, unable to leave the bed yet (she was still somewhat dizzy), waited until the fox was within her grasp, before throwing her arms around him and holding him close. The Chief exited the room a moment later, the ringing of his phone leading him to give the officers some privacy.

Nick let out a chuckle as he returned the hug, his breaths tickling the top of the rabbit's head. "If I didn't know any better, Carrots, I'd say you were worried about me."

"I was more concerned about your tail," Judy replied. "I still haven't found a pillow as soft as it."

"Carrots, I am _offended_ ," Nick joked back. "I am more than just my tail, you know."

"Maybe, but it's the only part that matters," Judy countered.

"Am I officially being replaced by my own tail? What is this betrayal?" Nick took hold of his tail and held it before him, staring down at it in false shock. "How _could_ you?" he asked the fluffy appendage, Judy letting out a giggle as it just flicked in response, before Nick let go and rolled his eyes, giving Judy a smirk as he turned his attention back to her. "I'm going to assume that you heard our conversation with those radar dishes you call ears?"

"I did," Judy nodded, a little bothered by the change of topics. "Just don't overdo it, okay? I'd like my fox back sometime soon."

Nick's smirk wavered slightly at her sentence, and it took Judy a moment to process why. She had called him _her_ fox – without thinking about it, no less. Before she had any time to think on it further, though, the Chief stepped into the room. His expression was one of frustration and, at the same time, determination.

"Wilde, I need you to move things along. I have to return to the Precinct as soon as possible." The cape buffalo was slipping his phone back into his pocket, staring down at the officers.

"What happened, did Clawhauser run out of jelly donuts?" Nick asked, offering a slight chuckle. It fell silent from the sharp glare the Chief gave him, making the fox take on a more nervous expression.

"Now isn't the time, Wilde. And even I don't think you can make a joke about this." Bogo took a breath, gritting his teeth in frustration at whatever had happened. Nick took the oportunity to shoot Judy a look that said 'challenge accepted'. But it was wiped away by the next set of words that came from the buffalo's mouth.

"The Tundratown branch for the University of Zootopia was just attacked."

 **There you have it – the ending to A New Face In Town.**

 **I'm going to take a break from this particular story and, for a little while at least, be working on 'The Money Shot' and 'Cloak and Dagger' – both of those stories seem fairly neglected as of late.**

 **I'll include an update in both stories for when I begin the next part of this story – keep your eyes out for the sequel if you're interested! I want to thank everyone who has followed, favorited, left feedback, and even just taken the time to read this story. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

 **A quick shoutout to the authors I referenced throughout the series:  
Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps  
Blenderguy15  
Sophie Ripley  
PyreFerret  
Leenden  
TatorTotTottish  
14sleepyhead09  
SweetUnknown**

 **Until next time,**

 **~ óÓÒò ~  
-N'yrthghar**


	29. Update Preview

**Here's a quick update for everyone who's following this story and was interested in its sequel:  
Zootopia: Divided is now started!**

 **A few quick things to address some of the things I know people were concerned with before:**  
 **\- Nick and Judy will be the total focus. Ocs are present but they will not take the spotlight; at worst, they'll share the spotlight but remain _behind_ our dynamic duo.**  
 **\- I'll be improving the realism, so the sequel isn't as ridiculous as the first story.**  
 **\- I'll also be trying to make the reading more coherent, especially during action scenes, so it's less easy to be confused.**  
 **\- And finally, this is where the WildeHopps ship will really set sail.**

 **Now that all that's out of the way, I hope you all enjoy Divided as much as or more than you did A New Face in Town. And, in order to follow the site rules...**

~ óÓÒò ~

Nick was in a panic. He knew he shouldn't be, but he was. He couldn't hear a thing save the ringing in his ears, and it was hard to see with the bright light and dust in his eyes. But he could still smell, and what he smelled was the source of his panic: smoke, and singed fur.

"Judy!" he called out, desperate to hear something, though his voice sounded faint even to his ears. As it faded, making it possible for him to hear something once again, he called out a second time. "JUDY!"

"Nick!"

That was her. She sounded distant, but the fox couldn't tell if that was due to his ears still ringing, or her own distance.

Wiping at his eyes, the fox looked around desperately, taking a step forward and collapsing to one knee as something caught his foot. "Judy!" He shouted again.

"Nick!" She sounded closer this time. The fox looked up, blinking his eyes to clear them, able to make out indistinct shapes. A gray and blue blob, illuminated by a bright orange and yellow light. Arms wrapped around him and Nick felt himself topple backwards, and he almost instinctively wrapped his arms around the bunny that had tackled him.

He let out a gasp of relief, hugging Judy closer to him. "J-Judy, you're alright?"

"Yes, I'm alright," the rabbit replied. "But what about you? Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah, I think I'm good," Nick breathed back. He tried to sit up, Judy shifting off of him and helping lift the fox to a sitting position. "Agh, but my ears," he groaned, clasping his paws over the still-ringing appendages.

"Even my ears are ringing," Judy said, crouching down to be eye level with her fox. "I'm just glad you're alright. But we need to get moving, Nick."

"I know," he groaned, shifting to clamber to his feet.

The radio at his shoulder crackled to life, a distorted voice coming through. "Nick, Judy, you two need to move – that explosion attracted a _lot_ of attention!"

Just as the voice went quiet, the cold air was split with a resounding crack, and the ground beside Nick exploded. With a yelp, he shoved himself and Judy against the remains of the car beside him. The fox and rabbit glanced to one another, passing along a single unspoken word of the threat:

 _Sniper!_


End file.
